WASHINGTON: US authorities on Monday warned Americans not to buy prescription pills online because they increasingly include lethal doses of fentanyl (an opioid analgesic) and methamphetamine (a highly addictive stimulant).
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said the advice applied to counterfeit medicine made to look like real Oxycontin, Vicodin and Xanax or Adderall. Fake pills are widely available on social media and e-commerce platforms.
"Counterfeit pills that contain these dangerous and extremely addictive drugs are more lethal and more accessible than ever before,” said DEA administrator Anne Milgram in a statement. “In fact, DEA lab analyses reveal that two out of every five fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.”
The rare public advisory — the first since 2015 — comes as US drug overdose deaths soared to 93,000 last year, the highest ever level. Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid most commonly found in counterfeit pills, is the primary driver of the rise, the DEA said. Overdoses involving methamphetamine, increasingly found to be pressed into counterfeit tablets, are another factor.
More than 9.5 million counterfeit pills were seized so far this year, more than the last two years combined. The vast majority were produced in Mexico, with China supplying chemicals for manufacturing fentanyl in Mexico.
Criticism of campaign is widespread, with allegations that it primarily targets low-income individuals and small-scale...
This week’s international crisis between India and Canada was brought on by killing of Khalistani Sikh leader
Sanitization of the area is being carried out to eliminate any terrorist found in the area
Complainant alleged when case was referred back to a lower court, ex-CJP Nisar exerted influence over judge in lower...
The PPP calls for the announcement of election date and schedule in accordance with the Constitution
The militants have waged an insurgency for over 15 years to overthrow fragile government in Mogadishu
