Welcome to our weekly column in which a topic of interest, piece of news, relevant opinion, or general request for feedback is presented. We’ll offer the topic du jour and accompanying question, and you have the opportunity to respond with your thoughts.
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This week’s Feedback Friday topic is:
Rainbow Fentanyl: Halloween Threat or Media Hype?
It comes as little surprise that in the weeks leading up to Halloween, there’s been an increasing number of news reports across the nation cautioning parents to be aware of “rainbow fentanyl” infiltrating their children’s satchels of Halloween candy. Media outlets have picked up the story, email chains have flooded inboxes, and parents everywhere are wondering…what’s the deal?
Well, it appears an August 30th press release by the Drug Enforcement Administration could have kicked off the scare. The situation as described, in part, by the DEA reads as follows:
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is advising the public of an alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl available across the United States. Since August 2022, DEA and our law enforcement partners seized brightly-colored fentanyl and fentanyl pills in 26 states. Dubbed ‘rainbow fentanyl’ in the media, this trend appears to be a new method used by drug cartels to sell highly addictive and potentially deadly fentanyl made to look like candy to children and young people.
“‘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,’ said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. ‘The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States.”
The press release, however, makes no connection between the pills and Halloween. So, should parents of young trick-or-treaters be worried this coming Monday night? Will highly-addictive, life-threatening pills make their way into bags of candy? Or is this another attention grab by the media—hyping a cautionary, government press release into a sensational story?
What do you think about rainbow fentanyl, Halloween, and the media’s role in this week’s news cycle?
Please share your thoughts by filling out this form. Today’s responses—and all future Feedback Friday responses—will be published in our Monday newsletters after the weekend. AND, several responses from recent topics will appear in our upcoming print magazines!
