August 30, 2022
Contact: Emily Murray
Phone Number: (571) 387-3545
For Immediate Release

DEA Reaches Agriculture Community at Farm Progress Show with Important Message About Fentanyl

Fake fentanyl pills

32,000 fake pills made to look like legitimate prescription medications were seized July 8 and 9 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Authentic_Fentanyl_lethal_dose_pencil

OMAHA, Neb. – Representatives with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division are engaging with visitors at the Farm Progress Show beginning today in Boone, Iowa, by hosting a booth in the Varied Industries Tent and raising awareness and education regarding drug trends in the Midwest.

“We know from experience that drug trafficking and abuse isn’t limited to big cities and urban areas,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Justin C. King said. “The Omaha Division covers a vast amount of agricultural land. We want to reach all of the communities we serve by providing potentially lifesaving information to everyone and that includes the farmers and ranchers who work tirelessly every day.”

In addition to answering questions about drug trends and the agency, DEA hopes to raise awareness to the threat of fentanyl now flooding the nation. Fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin, is potentially lethal at just two milligrams, small enough to fit on the tip of a sharpened pencil.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported more than 107,000 overdose deaths in 2021 with synthetic opioids, including fentanyl, serving as the primary driver behind the increase. DEA investigators are seizing fake pills, pills made to look like legitimate pharmaceuticals but laced with fentanyl, in large amounts across the DEA Omaha Division. DEA lab testing reveals that four out of every 10 pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.

The DEA Omaha Division consists of five states, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota as well as counties in Western Wisconsin and Illinois. The Farm Progress Show is the nation’s largest outdoor farm event, hosting more than 600 exhibitors. On average, the Farm Progress Show attracts more than 100,000 people per year from across the country and around the globe.

For more information on fentanyl, or for tips on talking with your family members about drugs, visit www.dea.gov/OnePill, www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.gov or www.JustThinkTwice.gov.

 

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