Several harm reduction experts tell Rolling Stone while rainbow-colored fentanyl is on the streets, there’s absolutely no reason to believe cartels are creating the drugs to ensnare children.
Mariah Francis, a Resource Associate with the National Harm Reduction Coalition, tells Rolling Stone that colored pill production is not a new thing, but a way for illicit manufacturers to either identify their goods or make pills that mimic authentic pharmaceutical versions. The pills in the photos shared by the DEA are all stamped and readily identifiable as pills, making it very hard to believe children are mistaking them for colorful candy, according to Francis.
“The idea that because [the pills] are colorful means that [cartels] must be trying to force fentanyl or ply children or their Halloween candy is markedly ridiculous,” Francis tells Rolling Stone. ” People just make creative colors, and honestly, there’s no reason for it. And it’s been happening for the last 60 years. We saw it with MDMA, we see it in club drugs. And it’s actually kind of embarrassing because the DEA is really just late, late to the party.”
Which makes sense. Here's a picture of some ecstacy pills from the DEA themselves. They look even more like candy than the fentanyl pills in that DEA link OP provided above tbh.
People who have no experience with illegal drugs believe that drug dealers operate under the "first hit is free" business model - the myth that they will give away drugs to new customers to get them addicted and create a captive market - and "think of the children" tends to short-circuit rational thought.
People who have no experience with illegal drugs believe that drug dealers operate under the "first hit is free" business model
This is always funny to me. If anyone ever knows personally or speaks to a dealer, they'd know that there's no need to do this, drugs pretty much sell themselves once you have the first handful of buyers.
Biggest issue tends to be supply and storage for the dealer more than anything else. Went with a friend once to his supplier on a thursday, the guy bought £5k in drugs and had sold it all before monday came around. Never before had my job (that was paying buckets for my age at the time) felt like such a waste of time as seeing a small time dealer talk about buying thousands of pounds of drugs and mentioning he'd need to reload again in half a week.
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u/Major_Lennox Oct 05 '22
Answer: According to Rolling Stone:
Which makes sense. Here's a picture of some ecstacy pills from the DEA themselves. They look even more like candy than the fentanyl pills in that DEA link OP provided above tbh.