Expand / Collapse search
☰

Warning issued for fake Adderall pills laced with fentanyl after deaths of 2 OSU students

By Veronica Meadows and David Komer online producer
Published  May 6, 2022 7:14pm EDT
Crime and Public Safety
FOX 2 Detroit

Fake Adderall pills with fentanyl in them blamed for deaths of 2 Ohio State students

Doctor Varun Vohra is the director of the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center. He says this is a concern for everyone — including for college students in southeast Michigan.

DETROIT (FOX 2) - There has been an increase in fentanyl overdoses the past few years -- and now there is a new warning. It's now making its way into fake Adderall pills.

Two Ohio State students' deaths are being linked to it after the university sent out an urgent safety alert warning about fake Adderall pills laced with fentanyl that are causing more overdoses and hospitalizations.

"When you think of drugs, you think of young college students so I feel like they might’ve thought, 'Oh I can get more money,'" said college student Chyla Moore.

"It’s not just touching Ohio State - it’s touching all colleges, it’s touching everybody, family members, parents, that’s somebody’s child," said Jada Smith, graduate student.

"Four out of 10 counterfeit pills have a lease lethal dose of fentanyl in them the counterfeit pills are becoming more and more potent with this opioid," said Doctor Varun Vohra.

Vohra is the director of the Michigan Poison and Drug Information Center. He says this is a concern for everyone — including college students in southeast Michigan.

"A lot of them already look for stimulants to help with their studies or whatnot," Vohra said. "An Adderall is definitely one of the agents that’s most implicated as well, that a listed or fake drug producers are creating."

Meanwhile, this comparison from the Drug Enforcement Administration shows the alarming similarities between fake pills and real ones.

"These organizations are harnessing the power of social media to get these pills into the hands of all kinds of people," said Brian McNeal. "You can go onto social media and these pills are being advertised sometimes, by just using emojis."

In light of the tragedy at OSU, McNeal, a DEA public information officer, reiterates the importance of not taking pills that aren't prescribed by your doctor.

"The nation is absolutely being flooded with counterfeit pills that are being made by drug trafficking organizations, Mexican cartels," he said.

The Poison Control Center cautions against ever taking counterfeit pills. If you think you have them, report them immediately.