The percentage of pills that contain a deadly dose of fentanyl increased by 50 percent from 2021 to 2022, from 40 percent to 60 percent. Production of these counterfeit pills is attributed to the Sinaloa and Jalisco Cartels of Mexico and are designed to look like legitimate prescription opioid medications. These factors emphasize the DEA’s caution and stance that people should not take medications unless prescribed.
More than half of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills being trafficked in communities across the country now contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl.
United States Drug Enforcement Administration. “DEA Laboratory Testing Reveals That 6 out of 10 Fentanyl-Laced Fake Prescription Pills Now Contain a Potentially Lethal Dose of Fentanyl | DEA.gov.” Www.dea.gov, 2022, www.dea.gov/alert/dea-laboratory-testing-reveals-6-out-10-fentanyl-laced-fake-prescription-pills-now-contain.