As students head back to school, the Monmouth County assemblywomen are alerting parents of dangerous, brightly colored pills, blocks, and powders resembling children’s candy or sidewalk chalk. Law enforcement officials in 18 states have confiscated the colorfully dyed fentanyl shipments.

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is the leading cause of death among adults aged 18-45. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 150 people die daily from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Anne Milgram, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration, says, “Rainbow fentanyl – fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes – is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults.”

China and Mexico are the primary source countries for the readily available fentanyl and fentanyl-related substances trafficked across the United States. Production of Rainbow fentanyl has been traced back to The Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Mexican cartels.

“Parents need to be on the lookout for these or any suspicious substances,” said the Assemblywomen. “Now more than ever, we must continue to teach our kids about the dangers of drug use and give our law enforcement officials the tools they need to keep deadly opioids out of our communities, particularly those designed to catch the attention of teens and children.”