Fentanyl-Laced Counterfeit Pills Found In Boulder County

BOULDER COUNTY, CO — More counterfeit pills are circulating in Boulder County, public health officials warned Friday. Some pills are made to look like Oxycodone and Xanax, Boulder County Public Health said.

"These pills are designed to look like legitimate pills but are made with ingredients that may contain fentanyl or other dangerous additives that can cause serious medical complications or can lead to death," the agency said in a news release.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is around 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, public health officials said. Of the counterfeit pills seized and tested in Drug Enforcement Administration laboratories, one in four pills made with fentanyl contained a potentially lethal dose. A kilogram of fentanyl can contain 500,000 potentially lethal doses.

Boulder County Public Health has issued the following prevention recommendations:

• Carry Narcan. Narcan can revive and save lives, but always call 911 if you suspect someone has overdosed. Colorado has the Good Samaritan Law; you will not be charged with a crime if you call 911. You could be charged if you leave the scene.
• Never use drugs alone. You can’t be saved if you are alone.
• Unless you picked up your own prescription at the pharmacy, don’t trust the strength.
• Start small with a low dose. You can always add more but you can’t subtract.
• Test your drugs using fentanyl strips. However, if it doesn’t alert to fentanyl it doesn’t mean it’s not there, it can still be in another untested part of the pill or another unknown synthetic.

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"If you, friend, or family member know or suspect someone is using these pills, please advise them to carry Narcan," the news release read.

"Narcan is available for free at Boulder County Public Health, CU students’ Wardenburg Health Center, local pharmacies without a prescription and is covered by most insurance plans."

>> More information about overdose prevention and response in Boulder County can be found here. Information about how to dispose of drugs can be found here.