SULLIVAN COUNTY –– Local law enforcement officials and the Sullivan County Drug Task Force have been working proactively to keep fentanyl off the streets and to raise awareness about the deadly drug.

In September, the Democrat reported about the rise of rainbow fentanyl or fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes to look like candy, to be marketed to children and young people.

Back at a Sullivan County Drug Task Force meeting in March, District Attorney Meagan Galligan discussed the rise of fentanyl on the streets.

“…If you believe that you’re buying a prescription pill on the street, it’s actually fentanyl. Fentanyl has become so cheap in this area, that it is marketed as every other type of drug,” said Galligan. “We’ve seen marijuana laced with fentanyl, every drug you can think of. So the law enforcement pillar [of the Task Force] really is putting tremendous effort on interceptions.”

The United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), in a press release last week, provided a look at fentanyl data for 2022 at the national level.

They also announced the seizure of over 50.6 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and more than 10,000 pounds of fentanyl powder this calendar year. Furthermore, the DEA Laboratory estimates that those seizures represent more than 379 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl.

“These seizures – enough deadly doses of fentanyl to kill every American – reflect DEA’s unwavering commitment to protect Americans and save lives, by tenaciously pursuing those responsible for the trafficking of fentanyl across the United States,” said Administrator Anne Milgram.  

The DEA has also noted that there’s been an increase nationwide in the “lethality of fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills,” with laboratory testing in 2022 revealing that six out of ten fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contained a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. 

This is an increase from 2021 when the DEA found that four out of ten fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills contained a potentially deadly dose.

Furthermore, the DEA says they’ve seized more than double the amount of fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills this past year than they did in 2021.

Locally, the Sullivan County Drug Task Force, as well as their law enforcement and community partners, have adapted to the rising concerns of fentanyl.

Deputy Commissioner of Health and Human Services Wendy Brown, who co-chairs the Sullivan County Drug Task Force with Galligan, said that when they saw a fentanyl spike in the spring, Galligan and Sheriff Mike Schiff immediately began recording public service announcements with Bold Gold Media. They also posted warnings about the deadly drug on social media. 

Additional efforts of the Task Force, in response to fentanyl concerns, include sharing information with the Sullivan County Legislature, increasing Naloxone [Narcan] training internally and with community partners, partnering with community organizations to secure and support the distribution of fentanyl test strips and modifying their marketing strategy to focus and include fentanyl info.

The Democrat will continue to cover the work of the Task Force and local law enforcement, as well as the opioid crisis at large, heading into 2023.