The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has warned Americans to beware a rising flood of fake prescription pills containing potentially lethal doses of fentanyl.
In its first public safety alert since 2015, the agency said on Monday that it had seen an “alarming increase” in the availability and toxicity of counterfeit medications such as oxycodone, Xanax, and Adderall.
It said it had already seized around 9.6 million counterfeit pills this year alone, more than the last two years combined, with a “dramatic rise” in the number containing a dangerous two milligrams or more of fentanyl.