‘Significant seizure’ in rainbow fentanyl made in Sacramento
Sacramento officials announce ‘significant seizure’ in rainbow fentanyl
Updated: 10:45 AM PDT Oct 18, 2022
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THIS IS KCRA 3 NEWS AT 6:30. >> THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC, HITTING CALIFORNIA. THE NUMBER OF DEATHS CONTINUES TO SKYROCKET. >> I’VE SEEN A LOT OF FAMILIES THAT HAVE BEEN IMPACTED BY DRUGS, OPIOIDS, AND FENTANYL. AND IT’S HEARTBREAKING. >> THEY THINK THEY ARE TAKING HYDROCODONE, AND REALLY, THEY’RE TAKING A LETHAL DOSE OF FENTANYL. THAT’S WHY IT’S SO DANGEROUS. >> OPIOIDS, AS THEY’RE TAKEN TODAY, ARE KILLING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. OPIOIDS ARE MUCH MUCH MORE DANGEROUS THAN THEY HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST. >> THIS TREACHEROUS DECEPTION TO MARKET RAINBOW FENTANYL LIKE CANDY, THIS IS EVERY PARENT’S WORST NIGHTMARE. EDIE: 5,720 PEOPLE DIED AFTER TAKING FENTANYL IN CALIFORNIA LAST YEAR. THEIR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN SHAKEN BY THIS GROWING EPIDEMIC. GULSTAN: NEARLY EVERY COUNTY IN CALIFORNIA HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY FENTANYL. 1300 PEOPLE DIED IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY ALONE. IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY, 119 PEOPLE DIED OF FENTANYL LAST YEAR. THAT’S A RATE OF 7.7 PEOPLE PER 100,000 RESIDENTS. EDIE: AND RECENTLY, A NEW CONCERN HAS SURFACED, RAINBOW FENTANYL. THE PILLS ARE DESIGNED TO LOOK LIKE CANDY, SO CHILDREN COULD EAT THEM BY ACCIDENT, AND THEY COULD CONTAIN A DEADLY AMOUNT OF FENTANYL. DEPUTIES ARE NOW SEEING THESE IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY. THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT RECENTLY SEIZED A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF FAKE OXYCODONE, BUT THESE ARE NOT PRESCRIPTION PILLS. GULSTAN: WE ARE JOINED BY SERGEANT KIONNA ROWE WITH THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE TO TALK ABOUT THIS. THE GAME HAS CHANGED. WE HAVE COLORFUL CANDY LOOKING FENTANYL. WHAT IS THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT CONCERNED ABOUT? >> IT IS A GROWING EPIDEMIC. ONE CONCERN IS THAT IT IS MARKETED TO TARGET KIDS AND TEENS. YOU MENTIONED 119 LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR ALONE WE HAVE SEEN 50. BY THE END OF JULY, 50 DEATHS IN SACRAMENTO COUNTY ALONE. WHAT ARE WE DOING TO TARGET IT, THROUGH EDUCATION. IT IS IMPORTANT WE ARE EDUCATING CHILDREN, EDUCATORS ARE EDUCATING CHILDREN BUT ALSO PARENTS ARE EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING OUR YOUTH TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. EDIE: WE HAD TO DO THIS IN OUR HOUSE WHEN WE SAW THE PICTURES OF WHAT THESE LOOK LIKE. MY KIDS ARE THIRD AND SIXTH GRADE BUT IF THEY THINK THIS IS CANDY, IT IS NOT EVEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT DON’T DO DRUGS. THEY DON’T THINK THAT IS WHAT THEY ARE DOING, THEY ARE — THEY THINK THEY ARE EATING CANDY. THAT IS WHAT IS DANGEROUS. LET’S TALK ABOUT HOW THIS IS BEING DISTRIBUTED, WHO IS SELLING THESE AND WHO ARE THEY TARGETING. DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SGT. ROWE: IT IS DISTRIBUTED WITH, DARE I SAY, OUR LOCAL DRUG DEALERS. THEY ARE PACKAGING AND MARKETING THIS TO LOOK LIKE WHAT I WOULD LIKE INTO LIKE TO A SMARTIE CANDY. A FINITE AMOUNT, A SMALL AMOUNT OF GRAINS COULD BE DEADLY. THEY ARE TARGETING OUR YOUTH. RIGHT NOW THE FENTANYL EPIDEMIC IS ON THE RISE AND IT IS THE LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN AMERICA RIGHT NOW AGE 18-45. THAT IS A CONCERN AND THAT IS MORE THAN THE DEATHS FOR — FROM GUN VIOLENCE, CAR ACCIDENTS, SUICIDES AREA GULSTAN: IT IS — LET’S TALK ABOUT YOUR MESSAGE TO PARENTS AND TEENS. THERE HAS TO BE SOME CONVERSATION. DOESN’T MATTER HOW YOUNG THEY ARE. SGT. ROWE: WE ENCOURAGE OUR PARENTS TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS, SIT DOWN WITH CHILDREN AND LET THEM KNOW, DON’T TAKE ANYTHING FROM A STRANGER. DON’T TAKE THINGS EVEN AT SCHOOL WHEN YOU ARE PACKING THEIR LUNCHES. EAT WHAT YOU PACKED. POTENTIAL ALLERGY ISSUES, BUT EAT WHAT YOU PACKED. WITH HALLOWEEN COMING UP, THAT IS A CONCERN. CHECK THE CANDY YOUR CHILDREN ARE GETTING. DON’T LET THEM EAT IT ALONG THE HALLOWEEN PATH. TAKE IT HOME AND CHECK IT. ANYTHING THAT IS UNOPENED. IT IS IMPORTANT TO EMPOWER YOUTH TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND NOT BE CAUGHT IN A TRAGIC SITUATION. EDIE: SOMETHING THAT OCCURS TO ME, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. IF KIDS SEE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS WEIRD AT SCHOOL, MAYBE THAT IS THE TIME TO GO TO THE RESOURCE OFFICER OR A TRUSTED TEACHER. SGT. ROWE: ABSOLUTELY. SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING. KIDS ARE A LITTLE SCARED. THERE IS A PRESSURE GOING ON, AND IT STARTS AT HOME. IF PARENTS CAN EMPOWER THEM AND REITERATE THAT AND DRIVE THAT HOME, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING, IT GOES BEYOND THAT PERSON BUT ALSO TO PROTECT YOUR FRIENDS, YOUR PEERS FROM THESE TYPES OF THINGS. GULSTAN: GIVEN KIDS — GIVING KIDS PERMISSION TO STAND UP IF THEY SEE SOMETHING. SERGEANT ROWE, THANKS FOR TALKING ABOUT THIS. THIS IS A TOUGH TALK THAT WE AS PARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE TO HAVE. SGT. ROWE: ABSOLUTELY. EDIE: WE ARE LEARNING THEY CAN’T
Sacramento officials announce ‘significant seizure’ in rainbow fentanyl
Updated: 10:45 AM PDT Oct 18, 2022
Sacramento law enforcement officials announced Monday their “first significant rainbow fentanyl fake M30 pill seizure” in the area. Rainbow fentanyl is brightly colored and resembles candies, which both federal officials and agencies in the Northern California area have often warned of the risk it could pose to youth because of its appearance.The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office would not release specifics on the seizures or the investigation after KCRA 3 asked, so it is unknown how much was seized and if any arrests were made.Assistant Chief Deputy DA Thien Ho sat down with KCRA 3 on Tuesday to speak more about the rainbow fentanyl risk for young children. See more in the video below:Placer County has been vocal about the dangers of fentanyl for years, citing a 450% increase in fentanyl deaths from 2018 to 2021. Nearly half of the deaths have been in people under 25 years old. The sheriff’s office believes sales are happening on apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok, which is how 17-year-old Zachary Didier died, after taking a pill he allegedly bought from a man on Snapchat in December 2020. US Attorney Phillip Talbert spoke one-on-one with KCRA 3 earlier in October about national efforts to raise awareness and education about the highly lethal drug. Watch below. State data also show an increase for many counties across California. Below is the rate of fentanyl-related deaths per 100,000 residents from 2020. Sacramento — 3.50 San Joaquin — 6.71 Stanislaus — 10.16 Placer — 7.30 Yuba — 6.26 Solano — 6.19 Yolo — 2.96 These are the rates for those same counties, but using data from 2021. Sacramento — 7.68 San Joaquin — 13.13 Stanislaus — 14.82 Placer — 9.02 Yuba — 16.18 Solano — 8.09 Yolo — 1.14 View more data from the California Department of Public Health here. What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but about 100 times more potent, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. However, most times illicit fentanyl is also mixed with other illicit drugs like heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine to increase its potency.The DEA said two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on how big a person is.”One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people,” the DEA said on its website.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Sacramento law enforcement officials announced Monday their “first significant rainbow fentanyl fake M30 pill seizure” in the area.
Rainbow fentanyl is brightly colored and resembles candies, which both federal officials and agencies in the Northern California area have often warned of the risk it could pose to youth because of its appearance.
The Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office would not release specifics on the seizures or the investigation asked after KCRA 3, so it is unknown how much was seized and if any arrests were made.
Assistant Chief Deputy DA Thien Ho sat down with KCRA 3 on Tuesday to speak more about the rainbow fentanyl risk for young children. See more in the video below:
Placer County has been vocal about the dangers of fentanyl for years, citing a 450% increase in fentanyl deaths from 2018 to 2021. Nearly half of the deaths have been in people under 25 years old. The sheriff’s office believes sales are happening on apps like Instagram, Snapchat, and Tiktok, which is how 17-year-old Zachary Didier died, after taking a pill he allegedly bought from a man on Snapchat in December 2020.
US Attorney Phillip Talbert spoke one-on-one with KCRA 3 earlier in October about national efforts to raise awareness and education about the highly lethal drug. Watch below.
State data also show an increase for many counties across California. Below is the rate of fentanyl-related deaths per 100,000 residents from 2020.
- Sacramento — 3.50
- San Joaquin — 6.71
- Stanislaus — 10.16
- Placers — 7.30
- Yuba — 6.26
- Solano — 6.19
- Yolo — 2.96
These are the rates for those same counties, but using data from 2021.
- Sacramento — 7.68
- San Joaquin — 13.13
- Stanislaus — 14.82
- Placer — 9.02
- Yuba — 16.18
- Solano — 8.09
- Yolo — 1.14
View more data from the California Department of Public Health here.
What is fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but about 100 times more potent, according to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. However, most times illicit fentanyl is also mixed with other illicit drugs like heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine to increase its potency.
The DEA said two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on how big a person is.
“One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people,” the DEA said on its website.