CLEVELAND — Rainbow fentanyl is turning up in cities and states across the country, including here in Northeast Ohio. It comes in pills and powder in a variety of shapes, sizes and bright colors. In some cases, it even resembles children’s sidewalk chalk.
“We consider this disturbing, we considerate it a deliberate effort by the traffickers to drive addiction amongst young kids and adults,” said Orville Greene, DEA special agent in charge, Detroit Field Division.
It is a troubling trend that has the DEA sending out a warning.
“Every color, shape, size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous,” said Greene.
DEA Agents and law enforcement across the country have already seized the brightly colored pills and powder in at least 18 states, including Ohio.
“The pills have been a variety of colors similar to skittles the colors you find in a skittles pack,” explained Greene.
Shaunna Jacobs is the office administrator at Stella Maris, a drug and alcohol treatment center in Cleveland.
But, she started as a patient after becoming addicted to prescription pain pills and then heroin and fentanyl.
She has been sober almost four years.
“I share my story in hopes that people won’t have to go through what I did,” said Jacobs. Like the DEA, she is concerned Rainbow Fentanyl is targeting kids and young adults. “Just like flavors to vape or flavors to alcohol, it makes it more appealing,” said Jacobs.
Now, the DEA is not only working to confiscate the new fentanyl but also to educate the community about the dangerous new trend.
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