Buying and Selling Drugs on Social Media
Social media is being exploited for illicit activities like buying and selling drugs. From encrypted messaging apps to discreet hashtags and symbols, the digital black market is thriving. Fake pills are being sold as legitimate pharmaceuticals, killing their buyers as a result.
The Role of Social Media
How, when, and where people get their drugs has changed with the proliferation of smartphone technology and social media apps. Dealers can now find, follow, solicit, and sell drugs before making face-to-face contact with their buyers. Emojis are often used to buy and sell counterfeit pills and other substances on social media and e-commerce platforms. Geo-tracking technology and encrypted messaging apps make it easier for dealers to connect with patrons and evade detection.
Drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and using social media and e-commerce platforms to effectively market them as legitimate prescription drugs. They market on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, Twitter, and YouTube, using code words, emojis, and temporary ads to avoid detection by both law enforcement and the safety filters built into the social media platforms (1).
Got Percs?
Parents need to understand how drug dealers are using social media to target their kids, so they can have informed and open conversations about substance use.
The Role of Social Media in Black Market Drug Sales
With the rise of social media, black market sales of drugs like fentanyl have surged, leading to deadly consequences.
Popular Drug Emoji Codes
Parents, check your kids’ social media accounts and stay vigilant. If you see suspicious emojis, say something and ask questions.
Source: DEA
Source: DEA
Source: DEA
Sacramento County is Fighting Back
Sacramento County DA, Thien Ho, discusses the ease with which dealers sell drugs on social media and what Sacramento County is doing to fight back.
(1) Drug Enforcement Administration. (2022, January). Social Media: Drug Trafficking Threat. One Pill Can Kill. Retrieved March 13, 2023, from https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-03/20220208-DEA_Social%20Media%20Drug%20Trafficking%20Threat%20Overview.pdf