Fake—and illegal—painkiller pills are sold on the streets, online, and via smartphone apps. Drug dealers target teens on social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. 

    The people who buy these pills usually have no idea they contain fentanyl. You cannot taste, smell, or see the drug. It can be impossible to tell the difference between real and fake pills even if you look at them side by side. 

    Experts say fake pills are a major reason deadly drug overdoses among teens nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020. They rose again the next year. In 2021, 77 percent of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl.

    Fake painkillers are illegal. These pills are sold on the streets. They are sold online. Drug dealers use social media to target teens.

    Often, the people who buy these pills don’t know they contain fentanyl. You can’t taste, smell, or see the drug. The fake pills often look just like real pills. 

    Experts say fake pills are a big reason deadly drug overdoses among teens nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020. They rose again in 2021. That year, 77 percent of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl.

    Fake—and illegal—painkiller pills are sold on the streets, online, and via smartphone apps. Drug dealers target teenagers on social media platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram. 

    Usually, the people who buy these pills have no idea they contain fentanyl. You cannot taste, smell, or see the drug, and it can be impossible to distinguish fake pills from real ones even in a side-by-side comparison. 

    According to experts, fake pills are a major reason deadly drug overdoses among teens nearly doubled from 2019 to 2020. They rose again the following year. In 2021, 77 percent of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl.

    Anne Milgram works for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). She says fentanyl is a huge threat to people’s safety. Fake pills containing fentanyl have been found in every state in the country. 

    The DEA wants to raise awareness of the danger. They launched a campaign called One Pill Can Kill. Last year, the agency took more than 50 million fentanyl pills off the streets. 

    On social media, police officers pose as drug buyers to find and arrest drug dealers. Social media companies also say they’re working to keep teens safe. Let’s say you search Snapchat for certain drug-related words. You’ll be sent to content about the dangers of fake pills. 

    Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) calls fentanyl “the single deadliest drug threat” ever faced by the United States. Fake pills containing fentanyl have been discovered in every state in the country. 

    To raise awareness of fentanyl, the DEA has launched a campaign called One Pill Can Kill. Last year, the agency took more than 50 million fentanyl pills off the streets. 

    Police officers posing as drug buyers on social media have been able to locate and arrest drug dealers. Social media companies also say they’re working to keep teens safe. For example, on Snapchat, if someone searches for certain drug-related words, they’ll be directed to content about the dangers of fake pills.

1. Never take any prescription pill that is not given to you by a doctor or pharmacist. 

2. Warn others about the dangers of fake prescription pills.

3. Call 911 if you think someone might be overdosing.

    Sadly, these efforts came too late to prevent Emily’s death. Her dream had been to become a drug counselor. She had once struggled with a drug problem. But she had been drug-free for 18 months when she died.

    At the time she passed away, Emily had a card in her wallet reading “You matter.” Today both Ashley and her mom spread that message to others. They visit schools in their home state of Colorado to warn teens about the dangers of fentanyl and fake prescription pills. At the end of their talk, students are invited to share their thoughts on index cards and place them in Emily’s old backpack. More than 1,000 cards now fill the bag.

    “It’s healing,” says Ashley. “I’m reaching out to kids and could possibly save lives.” 

    Sadly, these efforts came too late to prevent Emily’s death. She planned on becoming a drug counselor. She had once struggled with a drug problem. But she had been drug-free for 18 months when she died.

    When she died, Emily had a card in her wallet. It read “You matter.” Today both Ashley and her mom spread that message to others. They visit schools in their home state of Colorado. They warn teens about the dangers of fentanyl and fake prescription pills. After their talk, students can share their thoughts on index cards and place them in Emily’s old backpack. More than 1,000 cards now fill the bag.

    “It’s healing,” says Ashley. “I’m reaching out to kids and could possibly save lives.” 

    Sadly, these efforts came too late to prevent Emily’s death. Her dream had been to become a drug counselor. She had once struggled with a drug problem, but she had been drug-free for 18 months when she died.

    At the time that she passed away, Emily had a card in her wallet reading “You matter.” Today both Ashley and her mother are spreading that message to others by visiting schools in their home state of Colorado. They warn teens about the dangers of fentanyl and fake prescription pills. At the end of their talk, students are invited to share their reactions on index cards and place them in Emily’s old backpack—which now holds more than 1,000 cards.

    “It’s healing,” explains Ashley. “I’m reaching out to kids and could possibly save lives.”