The amount of rainbow Fentanyl within the United States has been increasing rapidly, resulting in the release of warnings to youth by the government’s drug agency. Rainbow Fentanyl is an illegal and extremely dangerous drug that takes the form of rainbow pills, often designed to look like candy.

Fentanyl is a narcotic, often used for pain management. It is dangerously addictive, and small doses are lethal, making it life-threatening. Fentanyl is commonly illegally produced, distributed, and consumed, in disregard of its many dangers.

In response to the recent increase in production and distribution of this drug, the US Drug Enforcement Administration declared a warning to adults and youth nationwide. The DEA released their statement, saying that the rainbow colors could be a tactic to make this dangerous drug more appealing to youth.

“Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said.

“The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States,” the DEA said.

Although, with Halloween just a few weeks away, and many parents fearing that fentanyl disguised as candy will end up in their kids trick-or-treating bags, many think such worries are irrational.

New York University Langone Medical Center’s department of population health, Joseph Palmer questions the deliberate intention to target kids.

“Even if fentanyl pills were only a few dollars each, most people would likely find them too expensive to give to kids on Halloween as a sick joke,” Palamar said

Regardless of the threat (or lack of) of rainbow fentanyl in our community, Officer Holm, Lincoln East’s School Resource officer warns youth to be wary of all potentially dangerous substances.

“There’s drug issues everywhere, you know, so I think it’s kind of […], important to, you know, be safe, make good decisions,” Holm said.

Overall, despite the intentions behind the rainbow fentanyl, the DEA, as well as our school officer, warns parents and youth to be cautious of this dangerous drug, in its seemingly harmless packaging.