Inti Navia 
Does that brightly colored pill look appealing to you? Think twice.
According to an article by Healthline, as of 2021, fentanyl is the deadliest drug in the U.S., being responsible for over one hundred thousand overdoses. Not overdoses that got people in the hospital, overdoses that got people killed. Now, the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) is saying that the cartel is trying to trick kids and adults with rainbow fentanyl pills that look like candy.
Fentanyl is fifty to one hundred times more deadly than morphine, and this type is supposedly super, super addictive. Even just the tiniest hit, no more than two milligrams, can cause you to O.D. and die.
With Halloween season right around the corner, make sure you or your siblings aren’t getting unwrapped candy from strangers. Also please avoid buying your prescriptions online, since rainbow fentanyl is one of the easiest drugs for people to sell without a license. This drug isn’t just on some random seller’s Etsy, it’s so far been found in 18 different states. According to cnn.com, the California Department of Public Health has alerted K-12 school administrators in the state about rainbow fentanyl being “a new trend.” It’s only a matter of time before the trend makes its way into Chicago, if it hasn’t already.
Medically, fentanyl is used as a treatment for severe pain. Its effects are listed as relaxation, euphoria, drowsiness, dizziness, confusion, constipation, and nausea. The difference between legal and illegal fentanyl is that sellers of the illegal kind can use all sorts of other chemicals and ingredients to cut costs, which can cause severe side effects which is mostly what’s responsible for all the deaths.
Fentanyl can be used as a medicine that can save lives, but the unregulated, and especially the new rainbow kind, can be contaminated and could easily end your life. So whether you come across it while trick or treating this Halloween, shopping on the internet, or even if someone you know offers it to you, think twice before taking it. It could be the worst move you ever make.
By Inti Navia, Senior, ChiArts
Instagram @intinavia
