The Fishers Police Department (FPD) is warning parents, students, and young adults about a dangerous and potentially deadly trend happening nationwide and in local communities.
Over the past several months, FPD has investigated several accidental overdoses and three deaths believed to be related to the use of counterfeit pills containing the drug fentanyl.
Overdoses are not only attributed to an individual abusing fentanyl, but also individuals consuming a drug they believe to be originally distributed by a licensed pharmacy. Pills such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and alprazolam (Xanax), or other stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall), are being marketed as legitimate prescription pills and often sold on social media platforms. Popular apps like Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Telegram, and Whisper allow teens to connect with local as well as national drug dealers, often while remaining anonymous.
Last month, officers assigned to the FPD Crime Reduction Unit seized more than 25,000 counterfeit pills believed to contain fentanyl.
FPD urges all Fishers’ residents to be aware of the dangers of counterfeit pills and to only take medications prescribed to them, by a medical professional, and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. For more information, please visit DEA.gov/onepill.