Police and first responders hope to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl after Skagway police on Sunday seized fake prescription pills they suspect contain fentanyl. Skagway police suspect the deadly narcotic is linked to at least one of two overdose deaths that occurred in their town last weekend.
Haines Police chief Heath Scott said the pastel-colored pills are manufactured illegally to pose as prescription medications.
“They look like Sweet Tarts or chewable vitamins,” Scott said. “That might lead kids to believe that they’re safe. These pills are not pills that would be provided by a pharmacy or prescribed by a doctor.”
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid which is legally prescribed but is often manufactured illegally. According to the DEA, it’s 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and is often laced in illegal drugs such as heroin or counterfeit pills. According to a May statement by Gov. Michael Dunleavy, fentanyl caused a 71% increase in opioid deaths in Alaska between 2020 and 2021.
According to the DEA, lab testing indicates that six out of 10 fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills tested in 2022 contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl, up from four out of 10 the year prior. “Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills,” the DEA states on its website. The fake pills are accessible on social media and e-commerce platforms, “making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.”
Scott said residents should be aware of the dangers posed by the narcotics and be able to recognize them. Fentanyl can be potentially lethal even if it’s even inhaled or touched, Scott said.
“If it’s in Skagway, it’s here. That’s our presumption,” Scott said. “This stuff is dangerous to handle. Our first responders need to be mentally prepared to deal with this stuff. We need to be educating young people that this is not a recreational drug. This is a powerful narcotic that often leads to death when consumed.”
The SEARHC pharmacy, the Haines Volunteer Fire Department and Southeast Alaska Independent Living are providing opioid overdose response kits that include fentanyl test strips and naloxone, or Narcan, a nasal spray that can save someone from overdosing by temporarily blocking or reversing the effects of opioids. The test strips indicate whether fentanyl is present in a drug.
The test strips, along with naloxone nasal sprays are part of an opioid overdose response kit that the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services’ Project Hope is distributing to communities across the state.