“There was no Percocet in his system.”
Laura Didier lost her son, Zach, to fentanyl poisoning. He thought he was taking Percocet, but toxicology reports showed he ingested lethal amounts of fentanyl. Zach had no idea the pill he was taking was a fake.
Explore the Death by Deception page below to better understand why and how illicit fentanyl is laced into brand-name prescription drugs and then pressed into pills to mimic them. View the gallery below to see counterfeit pills seized by the DEA.
Death by Deception
Adding fentanyl to other drugs makes them cheaper to produce, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous. Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl (1). According to the CDC, deaths related to fentanyl increased by 30% between March 2020 and March 2021 alone.
Fentanyl-laced drugs are extremely dangerous because many people may be unaware that their drugs are laced with fentanyl, which can lead to poisoning, accidental overdose, and death. They are made to mimic the appearance of prescription drugs, often with the same shape, color, size, and markings. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can be deadly – approximately the amount of 2 grains of salt.
Even if you get your drugs from a trusted source, you don’t know what you’re getting.
Fake 30 mg oxycodone tablets containing fentanyl | Source: DEA
Fentanyl disguised as 30mg oxycodone tablets | Source: DEA
30mg fake oxycodone containing fentanyl | Source: DEA
Fentanyl disguised as Adderall® | Source: DEA
Fentanyl disguised as Adderall® | Source: DEA
Fentanyl disguised as Xanax® | Source: DEA
Why Would Drug Dealers Want to Kill Their Customers?
Drug dealers prioritize profit over the well-being of their customers. They view their customers as a renewable source of income, caring little for their health or safety. Due to the high demand for illegal drugs, dealers know there will always be a steady supply of customers seeking their products.
In the world of drug trafficking, competition is fierce, and dealers may resort to extreme measures to maintain their market share. This may include lacing their products with potentially lethal substances to make them more potent and create differentiation in the market.
Drug dealers don’t care about killing their customers.
“It Was Laced.”
Lavichia Jones, who lost her son Antonio to fentanyl poisoning, explains that what he thought was a Percocet, turned out to be laced with fentanyl.
The Death of Lamont Meyers
Lamont Meyers was celebrating his 19th birthday when he took what he thought was a Percocet and died of fentanyl poisoning – he didn't know it was laced. His mother, Javon Williams, tells his story.
(1) Center for Disease Control (CDC). The Facts About Fentanyl. https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/pdf/fentanyl_fact_sheet_508c.pdf