OC Sheriff’s Office warning about Fentanyl disguised as Candy

The Oconee County Sheriff’s Office is warning parents that Fentanyl could be possibly disguised as candy, says Oconee County Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. “This is something that we have not seen in Oconee County as of yet. However, there have been reports from other agencies where Pez candy has been seized with the possibility that it could be disguised as Fentanyl, pending lab results. There have been stories circulating on the internet since last year with the same information. Since I have been Sheriff, we have taken a proactive stance on keeping our citizens informed with the goal that a more informed citizenry makes for a safer public. This continues to be our mission. There is no question that evidence shows that Fentanyl or Carfentanil can be pressed into pill form to make it look like prescription medication, however, we want to make our citizens and parents aware so they can tell their children not to accept candy except from adults that you as parents trust.” Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more powerful than Morphine while Carfentanil, which is used in tranquilizing large mammals, is 10,000 times more powerful than Morphine. Fentanyl and Carfentanil can be pressed into pill form disguised as other drugs as mentioned or used to cut other narcotics, such as heroin. Fentanyl and Carfentanil is deadly in small doses, regardless if the powder is breathed in in situations where the drug gets airborne or if it is absorbed through the skin or taken orally. “Due to the opioid epidemic in our country, the Sheriff’s Office has been proactive in trying to save the lives of potential overdose victims, including our own officers, other public safety officials and the general public and that is why we issued Narcan to our deputies earlier this year. With all the attention devoted to the opioid epidemic recently, dealers and suppliers may be looking at different avenues through which they distribute drugs and by using something disguised as candy, it could be something that could damage our children. There even may be ways to purchase these types of drugs over the internet in the form of Pez candies over the internet, according to media reports that have been published,” concludes Sheriff Crenshaw.