DEA warns parents about fentanyl dangers amid spring break season
Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen of the DEA RMFD spoke with FOX21 News about the hard conversations parents need to have with their kids about the dangers of drug abuse.
'The scary thing now is that the biggest threat in our community is not someone shooting a needle of heroin in their arm, it's that they're taking a pill,' Pullen said, 'and we teach our kids to take pills, so parents have to have this really hard conversation with their kids about being aware.'
Pullen said spring break brings an extra layer of concern.
'High school kids and college kids like to go on vacation for spring break; maybe they go to Mexico, maybe they go to Florida; kids take risks when they go and they are away from their parents,' he said.
DEA's Rocky Mountain Field Division on drug overdose deaths in the state
Pullen added that fentanyl does not take a vacation.
'It's still going to be deadly, it's still going to be out there, and parents need to have this conversation with their high schoolers and with their college kids to not ingest any substance that they don't know what it is,' he said. 'Never take a pill that you think is medicine if it didn't come from your doctor or pharmacist.'
Pullen said parents need to understand that the threat is real and it's out there, and that these criminal groups are targeting young people.
'The cartels have intelligence networks just like government agencies do, right? So, they watch the news, they pay attention to the trends, and they move drugs around the countries, to places where they know it's going to sell,' he said. 'They are a multi-billion-dollar a year business; all they care about is greed; they don't care about if people live or die, they just care about the money they are going to make.'
This weekend, an hour-long Nexstar special titled 'The Next Generation: Breaking Fentanyl's Grip' will air on FOX21 and SOCO CW. The special will focus on five families impacted by fentanyl; you can watch it on Sunday, March 30, at 5 p.m. on FOX21 and then at 9 p.m. on SOCO CW.
The DEA also has several resources for families, including drug education information for parents, educators, and caregivers to help 'identify drug use, drug paraphernalia, warning signs of drug use, and the harmful side effects of the most commonly used drugs.'
For more information, search dea.gov/togetherforfamilies.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Fox News
18-07-2025
- Fox News
PAM BONDI & ROBERT MURPHY: Team Trump is fighting deadly drug cartels to save American lives
The Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are dedicated to upholding the rule of law and championing the safety of the American people against deadly, illegal drugs. No drug continues to pose a greater threat to our nation than fentanyl — a synthetic opioid so powerful, deadly and pervasive that it is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45. But we cannot ignore the growing supply of highly addictive and dangerous methamphetamine. The Mexican cartels have created a vast global supply chain, sourcing precursor chemicals from countries like China, manufacturing fentanyl and methamphetamine in secret labs in Mexico, and smuggling them across the border into the United States. These drugs are flooding our communities, and their impact is catastrophic. Current CDC data estimates that 82,000 Americans died from drug overdoses last year — nearly 49,000 from fentanyl and more than 30,000 from psychostimulants, including meth. While we've seen a decline in overdose deaths in recent months, we cannot ignore the threat of fentanyl, often found in other drugs and fake pills. The cartels are also producing methamphetamine pills made to look like Adderall or MDMA, drugs popular with young adults. Fentanyl and methamphetamine together are toxic evidence that the cartels have no value for human life. DEA's mission is clear, and it is confronting this crisis head on. DEA is second to none at developing, interpreting and acting on intelligence. In full coordination, the DOJ is fully committed to prosecuting criminals who are in possession of these dangerous and deadly drugs — including any fentanyl-related substance — to the fullest extent of the law. Under President Donald J. Trump's leadership, the DOJ and the DEA are executing Operation Take Back America, an aggressive campaign to dismantle the criminal organizations responsible for trafficking fentanyl and other synthetic opioids — an unprecedented move to take back our communities and save American lives. Since January 20, DEA has seized over 44 million fentanyl pills and 4,500 pounds of fentanyl powder, representing over 180 million lethal doses and over 68,000 pounds of methamphetamine. Every seizure is a life saved. Every arrest removes a trafficker from the chain of distribution. Every operation sends a message: the United States will not tolerate this attack on its citizens. Our campaign is lawful, methodical and relentless. The DEA operates under a robust framework of legal authorities designed to confront the full spectrum of drug-related crimes. Title 21 authorizes the federal prosecution of drug manufacturers and distributors. RICO statutes allow us to dismantle criminal enterprises. Asset forfeiture laws allow us to strip traffickers of the financial lifeblood of their operations. International extradition agreements ensure that no foreign-based trafficker is beyond the reach of American justice. Each tool is used in coordination with U.S. Attorneys' Offices, in full compliance with constitutional protections and federal evidentiary standards. To name just a few of the recent fentanyl and methamphetamine seizures in the country: Our campaign is lawful, methodical and relentless. The DEA operates under a robust framework of legal authorities designed to confront the full spectrum of drug-related crimes. Each of these operations highlights the critical need to continue attacking the drug supply chain at every level. Our strategy is not limited to arrests and seizures. On July 16, Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, which will strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers and prevent chemists from creating new synthetic compounds to circumvent prosecution. Under Trump's direction, the administration has revitalized interagency coordination. The DOJ and the DEA are working shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and federal prosecutors to ensure unified case development from interdiction to indictment. The president has also authorized the use of diplomatic pressure, economic sanctions and trade penalties to hold foreign nations accountable for the chemicals fueling this crisis. The DOJ is also prioritizing enhanced penalties for trafficking offenses involving serious bodily injury or death. We are prosecuting not just the dealers but the enablers, those who launder money, provide logistical support, or serve as brokers between chemical suppliers and cartels. If you profit from this poison, you will face the full force of American justice. As a result of Trump's designation of eight major cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, we are now deploying new tools and charging traffickers with material support to terrorism, a charge that carries up to life in prison. Lining the walls at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, are thousands of faces of those lost to fentanyl. These faces are a stark reminder of why we do this work. Each name, each story fuels our resolve to eliminate these cartels and criminal networks and protect our communities. President Trump has made it abundantly clear: the sovereignty of our nation begins with secure borders and safe communities. The era of open borders and drugs flowing across them is over. The federal government is back on offense. Our strategy is not limited to arrests and seizures. On July 16, Trump signed the HALT Fentanyl Act into law, which will strengthen penalties for fentanyl dealers and prevent chemists from creating new synthetic compounds to circumvent prosecution. The American people deserve a justice system that protects their families from the violence of drug trafficking and the horror of overdose death. That is what the DEA and DOJ are delivering. We will not rest until the cartels are crippled, their supply chain is broken and this epidemic has ended. This is a fight for our country, and we intend to win it. Robert Murphy is the acting administrator of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, leading a workforce of nearly 9,000 public servants whose important work protects Americans from the dangers and violence associated with drug trafficking.
CBS News
17-07-2025
- CBS News
Riverside County health officials confirm first fatal overdose of opioid used as animal tranquilizer
Riverside County Public Health officials have confirmed the first fatal carfentanil overdose in the county, after a man in his 40s died from consuming the synthetic opioid earlier this year. Carfentanil is a fentanyl derivative that is 100 times stronger than fentanyl and 10,000 times more potent than morphine, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. The death occurred in March, and county health officials noted that it can take months to confirm the cause of death. Carfentanil was developed for use as a tranquilizer in large animals, such as elephants, and due to its potency, even a microscopic amount can cause a fatal overdose, according to the DEA. "This white, powdery drug closely resembles other substances like fentanyl or cocaine, but its danger far exceeds that of nearly any other opioid on the street," the DEA wrote. Its popularity in the illicit drug market is rising, the agency said, with most of the carfentanil seizures in 2024 being in a pill or tablet form. According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report, U.S. deaths with carfentanil detected increased approximately sevenfold, from 29 deaths in the first six months of 2023 to 238 during the same period in 2024. The DEA noted that carfentanil has been found mixed with other drugs or pressed into pills that look like prescription painkillers, often to increase drug potency and profits. Users may be unaware they are consuming carfentanil. Exposure to carfentanil can cause respiratory depression or arrest, drowsiness, disorientation, sedation, pinpoint pupils, and clammy skin. The onset of these symptoms usually occurs within minutes of exposure. Treating or preventing a carfentanil overdose is difficult, as the antidote naloxone may not work in its normal doses, and fentanyl strips may not detect carfentanil.
Medscape
15-07-2025
- Medscape
Revolutionizing Anesthesia Drug Management and Integrity
Stocking and restocking anesthesia carts is tedious and meticulous — and it's highly regulated. Anesthesiologists have direct and extensive access to controlled drugs in a hospital setting, particularly potent opioids and sedatives, which makes these processes vulnerable to the potential of abuse. Within the anesthesia ecosystem, the doctor has a partner in the stocking and restocking process, and that's the hospital pharmacy staff. This team has so much reporting to do: logging which medications were used by which operating teams and on which patients — data that ultimately get reported to the Drug Enforcement Administration. Errors in any part of the dispensing, stocking, and securing process could result in waste, fines, medication errors, or worse. Hospitals have been on the search for help. Several companies have focused on what's called RAIN RFID. The technology uses passive ultrahigh frequency waves to essentially perform the function of Bluetooth or Wi-Fi for short-range device communication. It's available to hospitals to help with everything from patient tracking to equipment security and compliance. For anesthesia departments, the company Intelliguard created what it calls the Mira Ecosystem. It's built on RAIN RFID and monitors each vial of medication through its entire journey, filling clinical, compliance, and supply chain functions. Tray Setups and Refills Are Quick, Easy, and Traceable According to Intelliguard, about 90% of its systems are currently deployed to serve anesthesia departments. When vials of medication arrive at the pharmacy, a technician applies the Mira tag to each vial, and immediately, the system begins tracking each individual one. 'Our system reads each of the 96-bit unique IDs and then associates those unique IDs with the medication. So now each of those IDs is associated with rocuronium, for example, and the company that made it, the serial number, and the expiration and the lot number,' said Paul Elizondo, Intelliguard's chief innovation officer. 'From then on, when our system sees that 96-bit unique ID, it associates it with the medication in a database. It displays that on the screen, and we know exactly what that medication is now.' Paul Elizondo The system tracks each vial of medication throughout its journey at the hospital, giving pharmacy managers and hospital administrators instant, real-time visibility into where each vial is and when. In terms of daily pharmacy tasks, making up medication trays for anesthesiologists is made nearly foolproof, reducing medication errors. 'The hospitals using our system will place these RFID-tagged medications into the tray, then they will place that tray into our enclosure,' said Elizondo. 'In 6 seconds, we read every single tag in that tray, and we let them know if that formula, if what's in the tray, matches the formulary to which they're building right at that time.' The system can also check to ensure there are no expired or recalled medications in the tray. The real-time savings come, though, when the anesthesiologist returns the tray at the end of the day. Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego is using this system. Performance improvement pharmacist Ann McKinstry explained some of the ways that she's seen return on investment gains. 'Pinpointing the medication location has allowed for a more rapid response to expiry, recalls, and patient care events,' McKinstry said. 'Inpatient pharmacy inventory is tightened by offering a streamlined data review to analyze usage and reducing waste by tightening supply on hand. In addition, RFID tags allow accurate controlled substance reconciliation by monitoring usage, waste, and replenishment down to the minute.' Real-Time Tracking of Medication Location Saves a Life Knowing exactly where your medications are on a real-time basis isn't just important: It can be a matter of life and limb. For example, if a patient with a deadly North American pit viper bite is rolled into your emergency department, as happened at a Bartow, Florida hospital at 1 AM on May 4 — you'd definitely want to know if you have antivenom on hand. Bartow was out. They reached out to Prodigy Health, distributor of specialty pharmaceuticals that supplies medicines to hospitals on a consignment basis. Prodigy runs a 24-hour switchboard and uses RAIN to gain visibility into what is being dispensed by each hospital. The antivenom was quickly located at a hospital in Lutz, Florida, one that had a RAIN RFID cabinet. The request was made, the antivenom was transferred, and the day was saved. Ty Dishman Before this technology, 'This process was manual and time-consuming. Now, with reliable data integrating into our system every 6 seconds, we're able to provide immediate, confident answers to customer inquiries about medication availability and delivery timelines,' said Ty Dishman, CEO of Prodigy Health. 'Instead of saying, 'I think it's there — let me check and call you back,' we can act quickly and efficiently, ensuring life-saving medications are mobilized without delay.' The Competitive Landscape RFID systems are nothing new in the healthcare environment. They're commonly used to track medical equipment and inventory, as well as in staff badging systems. Its use in medication management is fairly recent. Terso Solutions offers a similar suite to the Mira Ecosystem, with the exception of Intelliguard's direct-to-operating room tray system; Avery Dennison Medical and Healthcare provides a wide range of pharmaceutical labeling options, and some options include RFID.
