What candy boxes are fentanyl pills wrapped in? LAX seizes drugs amid Halloween scare

On October 19, 2022, LA County Sheriff’s Narcotics Bureau Detectives and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) seized approximately 12,000 suspected fentanyl pills at the Los Angeles International Airport.

The large drug bust has led law enforcement to ask parents to be careful. With Halloween fast approaching, the L.A. County Sheriff's department has urged parents to be on the lookout for any drug-laced candy that might be found during trick-or-treating with their children.

The fentanyl pills were found in candy boxes marked as SweetTarts, Skittles, and Whoppers by federal Drug Enforcement Agency agents assigned to the task at the airport.

The suspect managed to flee the scene but has since been identified.

---

Fentanyl suspected to be distributed for Halloween

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and over 100 times more potent than morphine. Just about two milligrams of the drug (about 10-15 grains of salt) is enough to be lethal.

Of the drugs that were seized, at least 4 out of every 10 pills tested were found to have a potentially lethal dosage of the chemical in them. The DEA stated that synthetic opioids remain the deadliest drug threat facing the nation.

The drugs were found in sealed candy bags (Image via lasd.org)

The investigation is ongoing. A representative from the sheriff's department has urged parents to check the candy once their children bring it home on Halloween.

"With Halloween approaching, parents need to make sure they are checking their kids candy and not allowing them to eat anything until it has been inspected by them."

If anything is found in candy boxes that are believed to be narcotics, police urge parents to bring them in for inspection. They should be handled carefully and should not be consumed.

This is not the first instance of a drug seizure in the U.S. Last month, the DEA said that over 300,000 vibrant, rainbow-colored pills were found in 18 states, and fentanyl was also found in the form of chalk and powder. Drug traffickers were reportedly attempting to attract and trap children and young adults with the drugs by making them look like candy.

---

Fentanyl contributes heavily to the country's current opioid crisis

So far, the DEA has reportedly seized over 10.2 million fentanyl pills from across the nation during a months-long operation. In 2021, 107,622 Americans died from drug poisoning or overdose, with more than 66% of those being attributed to synthetic opioids.

Though research shows that drug usage among teens is at an all-time low, the increasing number of drug-related deaths is a result of the risks that these narcotics pose.

The synthetic drug was made in 1960s with the intention of being used as an anesthetic. Since then, it has been transformed into a prescription drug to be administered via nasal sprays, injections, and transdermal skin patches. This has subsequently led to the current opioid crisis in the United States.