The number of illegal and deadly fentanyl pills taken off the streets by law enforcement has dramatically increased from about 49,700 in 2017 to over 115 million last year, according to a new study.
There was a significant increase in the weight of illegal fentanyl powder seized by law enforcement as well, the study said. Data on the liquid form was not analyzed. The CDC said over 150 people in the U.S. die every day from overdoses linked to opioids like fentanyl. Many people don’t even know they’ve taken it, as the drug is commonly mixed with other illegal substances because it’s cheaply made and extremely potent.
Illegal fentanyl has become a main contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. and is linked to an unsettling rise in overdose deaths among teens between 2010 and 2021, according to recent studies.