Grant County officials are alerting the public about U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency warnings that the availability of counterfeit medications containing lethal fentanyl are increasing. Sheriff Nate Dreckman says, at this time, there have been no reports of counterfeit pills in Grant County. According to the DEA warning, the counterfeit pills are almost identical to prescription medications, such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Xanax®, Adderall® and others. Adults and minors are purchasing the pills through social media, including Snapchat, Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. Fentanyl, an extremely potent synthetic opioid, is a large contributor to the rise in U.S. overdoses and overdose fatalities. According to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, more people die of opioid overdoses in Wisconsin each year than car crashes.
