COLUMBIA, S.C. — Following Fentanyl Awareness Day on Sunday, the Drug Enforcement Administration sent a warning for a new version of the drug fentanyl.
The pill is rainbow-colored and resembles candy. This new version recently entered the drug market in the United States.
“Rainbow colors, all different types of rainbow colors, so they will sometimes entice small children,” Christina DeRienzo with Palmetto Poison Control said.
She said this should be sparking conversations between parents and children.
“Talk to your children about it at home there are these particular drugs that are hitting the street that look like things that they are accustomed to seeing like candy,” Christina said.
There were concerns on Facebook about how this pill could impact the Midlands after thousands of the new rainbow pills were seized in parts of the U.S.
“All cases dependent on each individual. It can cause extreme depression in breathing, central nervous system issues, so it’s something you certainly don’t want to be exposed to,” Christina said.
Contact with the rainbow or other versions could also result in death.
According to the Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina Division of the DEA, the new pills have not made their way to South Carolina. But the agency said the impact of fentanyl is still an issue in South Carolina.
Between October 2021 and August 2022, the DEA seized more than 14,000 pills. Around that same time period, the U.S., in total, seized more than 20 million pills.
In a statement from DEA Administrator Anne Milgram, fentanyl is a top drug priority.
“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered. From large cities to rural America, no community is safe from the presence of fentanyl,” Milgram said.
The DEA said it's working to eliminate the trafficking of this drug into the U.S.