Dallas DEA seized more than 11.4 million doses of fentanyl in 2022
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – The Dallas Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration said it seized more than 1 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and 7,000 pounds of methamphetamine in 2022.
Those pills represent more than 11.4 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl, according to the agency.
Methamphetamine is a potentially fatal drug impacting tens of thousands of lives every year. Law enforcement officials said it continues to be one of the most significant drug threats to every community in North Texas and Oklahoma.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. Its illicit distribution is one of the deadliest drug threats facing the United States. With its highly addictive nature, (50 times more potent than heroin) just two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a deadly dose.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a leading cause of death for Americans 18-45 is drug overdose and poisoning. A staggering 107,622 Americans died from taking drugs last year.
Just last month, DEA alerted the public to a sharp nationwide increase in the lethality of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills. Their laboratory testing in 2022 revealed that 6 out of 10 fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. That's an increase from DEA's announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contain a potentially deadly dose.