Health departments
across the United States are issuing warnings to alert parents of a new threat,
the “Rainbow Fentanyl” that is being considered dangerous to children and young
adults. The “Rainbow Fentanyl”, which are bright-coloured pills, powders, and
blocks, seemingly looking like candy, are being described as ‘highly addictive
and potentially deadly’ by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.

Democratic Senate
leader Chuck Schumer warned that Rainbow Fentanyl is one of the most
important health issues concerning the country at the moment. He notified that
the drugs marketed as candies may be distributed during Halloween targeting
children and teenagers.

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Illegally manufactured
fentanyl has been one of the primary drugs to cause drug overdose deaths in the
United States in the past few years. Reports by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) specified that more than 100,000 American lives were
claimed by drug overdose in 2021, with around 66% of those related to synthetic
opioids like fentanyl. The pills are often made to look similar to prescription
drugs or medication.

US-DEA Administrator
Anne Milgram stated that the pills and powders which are available in a variety
of shapes, sizes, and colours are being used to market drugs to young adults.
The DEA claimed that coloured fentanyl is also being distributed in ‘blocks’
that resemble sidewalk chalk.  

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“The men and women of
DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl”,
claimed Milgram, DEA Administrator. She also added that the DEA is looking out
to defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for majority of the
fentanyl being trafficked into the United States.

Parents, educators, law
officials, and policymakers have all been working together to protect the next
generation from these deadly drugs. As students are headed back to their
schools, the threat of fentanyl has forced the school districts in Florida,
California, and Texas to take new measures to fight this crisis. It has been
urged to contact 911 as soon as it is discovered that someone might be
overdosing on these drugs.