CLARION CO., Pa. (EYT) — Clarion County District Attorney Drew Welsh has issued a warning regarding a growing trend of deadly fentanyl being disguised as other prescription medication.
According to a release from District Attorney Welsh, Clarion County Law Enforcement agencies have become suspicious that pills that appear to be legitimate prescription medication are actually deadly fentanyl in disguise.
The release states this is part of a trend that has been growing around the country that may have made its way to Clarion County.
In recent years, law enforcement agencies in places as far apart as California, Alaska, Georgia, and Colorado have been sounding the alarm. In those states, pills that appear to be prescription medications such as Percocet, Xanax, and Oxycodone are actually counterfeits filled with fentanyl.
According to Welsh, these fake pills are not coming from a pharmacy or with a legitimate prescription, but rather are being purchased on the street or online.
“In the last 11 years that I have been a prosecutor, no narcotic has been more deadly than fentanyl,” Welsh said in the release.
“Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that has often been seen mixed into heroin. Even a small amount of fentanyl can cause a person to stop breathing and die. I want our community to be aware that if they are getting a prescription pill from anywhere other than a legitimate pharmacy that pill could be fatal.
“I know that sometimes people will take a prescription pill from a friend or neighbor to help with pain, but if you don’t know where that pill came from, there could be tragic results. Law Enforcement is working hard to determine the source of any of these pills and put a stop to them being imported into Clarion County.”
If you suspect that you may mistakenly be in possession of one of these counterfeit pills, contact your local law enforcement agency to report it.
Clarion County also has multiple drug take-back locations where you can safely dispose of any unneeded medications. Go to https://www.ddap for more information.
