COLORADO — School is already out or about to be out, and as summer approaches, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is encouraging parents to speak to their child and/or children on the dangers of fentanyl.
According to the DEA, their Rocky Mountain Field Division is on pace to eclipse fentanyl pill seizure records that were set last year.
The DEA says, the leading cause of death in Americans 18 to 45 years old right now is fentanyl.
WATCH: A check back in on fentanyl data in southern Colorado
Last month, a documentary on the fentanyl crisis premiered in Colorado Springs.
WATCH: Documentary on fentanyl crisis premieres in Colorado
Colorado isn't the only state seeing more fentanyl pill seizures. The DEA says Utah, Wyoming and Montana are also experiencing the same issues.
“It is an unfortunate reality that seizures of fake fentanyl pills across our Division – Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and Montana – continue at unprecedented levels,” said DEA Rocky Mountain Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge David Olesky. “Fentanyl poisonings are the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years of age. We need parents, grandparents, teachers, siblings, friends, and neighbors to join us in having the discussion on the deadly dangers of this poison being peddled by the cartels in our country.”
The DEA says the fentanyl epidemic is the deadliest drug threat in United States history.
According to the DEA, Colorado has seized nearly 1.8 million fentanyl pills with four months remaining in the fiscal year. They say last year's record of 2.61 million will likely be broken.
DEA lab testing shows seven out of every 10 fentanyl pills contain a potential lethal dose. The DEA says as little as two milligrams, which is equivalent to a few granulates of sugar, can be deadly.
“As we head into the summer and kids are out of school, let’s not fail to continue to educate our family and friends on the dangers of fentanyl. The more we talk about fentanyl, the better,” Olesky added. “At DEA, we’re fighting these cartels and the fentanyl crisis every day – now we need the rest of the country to join us in that fight. It is true that one pill can kill, but it’s also true that one conversation can save.”
To learn more about fentanyl seizures in the United States, visit the DEA's website.
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Tuesday afternoon update on the Oak Ridge Fire
Officials in Pueblo County Tuesday held a press conference where they said the Oak Ridge Fire had grown to a total of 495 acres Tuesday. All evacuation orders remain the same. The fire was first reported on Saturday.
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