In August, 2022 the Drug Enforcement Agency issued a warning about the emergence of fentanyl pills that are brightly colored. Cartels may be using these candy-like colors to sell more of the potentially deadly drug to children and teens.
Nothing says Halloween like candy corn, carved pumpkins, and children dressed up in costumes to go trick-or-treating. But this Halloween, parents will unfortunately face something much more haunting than ghosts—fentanyl disguised as candy.
This summer saw an emergence in brightly-colored counterfeit tablets, she said, which is where rainbow fentanyl gets its name. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning in August of an “alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl” made to look like candy to children and young people.
“Rainbow fentanyl” is the name of brightly colored pills that look like candy but are really a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
However, it was discovered that inside the “Sweetarts”, “Skittles”, and “Whoppers” candy boxes were fentanyl pills and not candy.
The PSA says, “The powerful drug cartels are coming after your kids, your neighbors, your students, your family members and your friends. Fake pills laced with fentanyl are beginning to look like candy in an effort to lure young Americans. This is also known as rainbow fentanyl.
Several countries including China, Brazil, Canada, India and EU member states have banned the chemical due to research published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, which links potassium bromate to carcinogenic effects in animals.
Methamphetamine, which comes in a pill form and resembles “sweet-tart” candy, has become the latest trend among drug traffickers. These candy-like pills come in different shapes and sizes and have various imprints that make it harder to distinguish between candy and an illegal drug.
Fentanyl lollipops are a type of prescription medication that contains the potent opioid drug, fentanyl. They are designed to provide pain relief for patients with cancer or other chronic pain conditions, and are typically prescribed as a last resort when other pain medications have proven ineffective.
The active ingredient in marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is being added to copycat products to look like Cap'n Crunch, Cocoa Pebbles, Cocoa Puffs, Froot Loops, Fruity Pebbles, Nerds Ropes, Starbursts, Sour Patch Kids, and Trix, among others, according to the FDA.
“They Look like Candy”
Police say that it can be hard for parents to know if their teen is abusing Xanax via laced candy. At first glance, Xanie Tarts appear to be genuine candy—they even have the familiar logo. It looks like candy and it tastes like candy.
Ecstasy is the street name for a version of MDMA, or 3,4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine. Common slang terms for ecstasy include E, X, XTC, skittles, sweets, smartees, scooby snacks, candy, happy pills, beans, and adam. Ecstasy is a derivative of amphetamine and has a similar structure to methamphetamine.
In August, 2022 the Drug Enforcement Agency issued a warning about the emergence of fentanyl pills that are brightly colored. Cartels may be using these candy-like colors to sell more of the potentially deadly drug to children and teens.
Nasal decongestants: Pseudoephedrine (Sudafed) and phenylephrine (Sudafed PE) both come in bright red colors and often have a similar outer coating to chocolate candies like M&M's.
MDMA generally is sold as a tablet, which is taken orally. MDMA tablets are available in various colors and shapes and generally are imprinted with a logo. Popular logos include smiley faces, clover leaves, cartoon characters, and symbols associated with commercial brands such as Mitsubishi, Nike, and Mercedes.
Actiq, one of several fentanyl products available by prescription, is distributed as a medicated raspberry-flavored lozenge attached to a short handle resembling a lollipop.
Heroin is a semi-synthetic derivative of the drug morphine. Pure heroin is a white crystalline powder and is referred to as 'white sugar' by abusers. When the quality of heroin is poor, its color is no longer white, but brown; this inferior quality is called 'brown sugar'.
Sweet syndrome's typical cutaneous lesions are single or multiple, usually bilateral, with a symmetrical distribution. They present as erythematous, edematous, soft, painful papules or nodules, that can coalesce and acquire the shape of well-defined irregular plaques.
SweeTarts (/ˈswiːt. tɑːrts/; officially stylized as SweeTARTS) are sweet and sour candies invented under the direction of Menlo F. Smith, CEO of Sunline Inc., in 1962.
Wheat Thins and cereals like Frosted Flakes are banned in the United Kingdom, Japan and parts of Europe because of a chemical called BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene), which is used as a flavor enhancer. The foods we eat are tested every day in laboratories, like one 13News visited on the Purdue campus.
Gatorade was also banned due to the presence of Yellow 5 and 6, which are artificial ingredients banned in the European Union in all food produced for children. While foods in most of the European Union containing these ingredients must be labeled, Norway and Austria still prohibit them.
Non-halal Skittles
Skittles gummies are not halal because they contain gelatin. Gelatin is a protein gotten by boiling the skin, tendon, ligament, and bones of animals with water. It is commonly sourced from pigs and, for this reason, is unsuitable for Muslims.
Law enforcement has partnered with the DEA to crackdown on the newest trend in illicit drugs, rainbow fentanyl made to mimic and be laced into pills that look identical to popular candies. From a composition standpoint, the drug functions the same, but with a new exterior meant to entice children and young adults.
What is it called? The most common names for powdered cocaine are blow, nose candy, nose powder, powder, and white powder.