Fentanyl has concerned law enforcement officials in recent years, but they say there is a new trend they are finding: Candy-colored fentanyl.
The pills look like SweetTARTS, but even small doses can be deadly.
The new trend prompted the Florida Attorney General to issue an alert on Monday.
“As millions of teens and young adults begin another academic year, I want to make sure these students understand the dangers of using illicit drugs. More common drugs like cocaine, meth and ecstasy are being mixed with other dangerous substances and sold to unsuspecting users. So never take an illicit substance and remember that just one pill can kill,” said Florida attorney general Ashley Moody.
Last week, Customs and Border Protection agents said they found thousands of fentanyl pills that look like candy coming into the U.S. from Mexico.CBP Port Director Michael W. Humphries said these pills target young users.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
The CDC says that the drug causes more than 150 overdose deaths in the US each day.