Rainbow fentanyl seized in Garfield County
Foto de cortesía
An innocuous-looking form of the highly dangerous narcotic fentanyl was recently seized in Garfield County, according to a statement released Saturday by Garfield County Sheriff Lou Vallario.
The Special Problems Enforcement and Response team is a newly established task force that seized several pills suspected of being “Rainbow Fentanyl” in Garfield County.
“Citizens are once again being reminded to watch out for Rainbow Fentanyl, an illegal drug (opioid) that has recently been released into our country in massive amounts,” the release states.
“Investigators are being advised that local narcotics users and sellers are calling the narcotics ‘Skittles.’”
The task force is saying the highly dangerous opioid is made to appear as harmless candy or mints to younger people, including teens and preteens, the release states.
“With the holiday season approaching and multiple parties and gatherings taking place you may stumble across someone using, sharing or distributing this illegal drug,” the release states.
The drug is lethal even in the smallest dosage, authorities said.
Garfield County Sheriff Public Information Officer Walt Stowe said on Saturday the recent fentanyl seizure wasn’t from a passerby on Interstate 70 and that the case is still actively under investigation.
The DEA notes that fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, sheriff’s officials indicated in an Oct. 24 news release. “Just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose,” it stated. “Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or powder.”
Stowe said the Garfield County Sheriff’s Office intends to release more details on the seizure in the near future.
The Sheriff’s Office also offers the following tips for Halloween safety this weekend:
- While door-to-door trick or treating may be fun and exciting you are exposing yourself to the possibility of receiving “bad” treats, but also auto/pedestrian encounters that do not favor the pedestrian. The darkness of night provides opportunities for bullying and the potential for personal injury, accidental or otherwise. There is a higher probability of a personal attack at night.
- Whenever possible limit your trick or treating to established venues, shopping malls, churches, organized “Trunk or Treat” venues (often organized by municipalities or civil groups), etc.
- Even from these venues, do not accept or eat anything that is not commercially wrapped. Inspect the treats for signs of tampering. Check for unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers and throw away anything that looks suspicious.
- Be aware of the introduction of drugs that may look like candy, be brightly colored and even flavored to taste like mint, pineapple, strawberry or peach etc. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), large quantities of fentanyl have recently entered our country with just these characteristics (see photo above).
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