TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The DEA is reporting record seizures of fentanyl in 2022, saying the number of seizures conducted were double the amount the agency totaled last year.
The agency is reporting it made the following seizures this year:
- 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills
- More than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder
- Nearly 131,000 pounds of methamphetamine
- More than 4,300 pounds of heroin
- More than 444,000 pounds of cocaine
All told, the DEA says its fentanyl seizures alone amount to "more than 379 million potentially deadly doses"—and that figure doesn't account for the additional narcotics seizures.
According to Special Agent Cheri Oz, Arizona is the heart of the fentanyl problem, and the origin point at which most shipments of the drug enter the country.
"We need your help to get the word out," Oz told KGUN 9. "The answer starts in your own home, in your own living room, in your conversations with your own kids, with your own friends, with your own family"
Oz said over 107,000 Americans died as a result of drug overdoses and poisonings, with 70% of those connected to opioids such as fentanyl.
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The agency says the lethality of fake prescription pills laced with fentanyl is increasing, saying lab-testing "revealed that six out of ten fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl."
A DEA release says to be alert when it comes to prescription pills sold on social media. Fentanyl-laced pills are made to resemble real medications like Percocet and Xanax. Unless a pill is purchased from licensed pharmacists and prescribed directly from a medical professional, it should be considered unsafe to consume, the agency warns.
Officials such as Oz, Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels and others connected with drug enforcement say awareness and education are key in preventing the continued rise in fentanyl-related deaths.
The DEA's 'Faces of Fentanyl' memorial commemorates lives lost to the drug. For those interested in memorializing a victim and assisting with further awareness efforts, the agency is providing the following instructions:
- Submit a photo of a loved one lost to fentanyl to fentanylawareness@dea.gov
- Include the individual's name and age
- Can also post photos with names to social media using the hashtag #JustKNOW
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Anne Simmons is the digital executive producer for KGUN 9. Anne got her start in television while still a student at the University of Arizona. Before joining KGUN, she managed multiple public access television stations in the Bay Area and has worked as a video producer in the non-profit sector. Share your story ideas and important issues with Anne by emailing anne.simmons@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn.
