Social media’s role in drug use, what parents can do
Aug 10, 2024, 11:13 AM
SALT LAKE CITY — As students prepare to head back to school, the Drug Enforcement Administration, is warning parents about a troubling trend of fentanyl nationally, and here at home in Utah among school-aged kids.
The DEA said fentanyl is in every corner of the valley.
Dustin Gillespie, assistant special agent in charge, said the days of hardened criminals in dark alleys who meet with drugs in the middle of the night are gone.
In its place, most transactions are happening online, through social media and with online payment options.
“Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, those are how the dealers are interfacing and meeting and marketing their drugs,” Gillespie said.
From there, payment is often made through online apps, like Venmo or Zelle, where the drugs are then dropped off at their doorstep or in a mailbox, so the dealers never have to meet the buyer in person.
“Seven out of 10 pills that we test in our laboratories contain a potential lethal dose of fentanyl in it. It’s the most potent and deadly drug that our country has ever faced,” said Gillespie.
He said fentanyl is being introduced as early as middle school.
The thing is, Gillespie said the looks of these pills are identical.
“Our lab techs who are testing millions and millions of these pills every day throughout the year can’t tell the difference. So, if our lab techs can’t tell the difference between what’s legitimate and illegitimate, there’s no way that we can,” Gillespie said.
With that, he said to never take a pill that was not prescribed directly to you by a licensed practitioner, or you could wind up dead in seconds from fentanyl.
As parents and guardians looking out for youth, Gillespie said it is vital that families are educated about what is going on behind the screen.
“You’ve got to be aware of what they’re doing on these applications. It may seem intrusive. It may seem awkward to get in their business, but you have to, because they’re being preyed upon by pretty sophisticated drug dealers,” Gillespie said.
What the DEA considers to be a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl is incredibly small. Only two milligrams.
For reference, that is the amount that would fit on the tip of a pencil.
