Cost of fentanyl pills falling--here's what police say parents should watch out for
FAIRFAX, Va. (7News) — Just days after Virginia Senator Tim Kaine helped introduce a bill to try and declare fentanyl a national security threat, 7News sat down with the Fairfax County Police Department on what parents need to know to keep their kids safe.
In April, FCPD took more than 1,300 suspected fentanyl and opioid pills off the streets, along with other illegal drugs and weapons.
Police said the tiny blue pills are still the biggest concern for youth, and the pills have been getting cheaper to buy in the last year as more hit the streets.
"We’ve seen them down as low as $5," FCPD Assistant Commander of the Organized Crime and Narcotics Division Lt. Adrian Berkey said.
Police are working to target those supplying the drugs and they tell 7News teens are getting the drugs in a variety of ways.
"Social media apps, Instagram, other apps, they’re connecting with suppliers via social media," Berkey said. "And also, we’re seeing cases where they’re legitimately going to outside stores, in shopping centers, just out on the street and purchasing it from suppliers."
Police have been warning about dealers using common social media apps like Snapchat to reach youth through colorful emojis and disappearing messages. Parents can help, by watching for specific items in their child's room.
Berkey said foil is often used to burn pills, and rolled-up bills or straws are used to smoke the fumes.
"So those are things to look for," Berkey said. "Obviously it’s going to look a little out of place when you see a rolled-up dollar bill, or a tube, or something from a pen or straw."
Kaine's legislation introduced last week, named the "Disrupt Fentanyl Trafficking Act of 2023," would declare fentanyl a national security threat.
The senator spoke on the proposal, calling U.S. fentanyl death numbers, "essentially like a war every year."
"In 2012, 50 Virginians died of fentanyl overdoses," Kaine said. "In 2022, the number had risen to 2,000, and other states are seeing the same phenomenon. So, let’s call it a national security threat and get the DoD involved."
On Friday, the senator is also hosting a community roundtable on the fentanyl crisis. He'll be speaking with patients at a substance-use disorder center in Arlington, and also their families.
Berkey also encouraged a family approach to combatting the crisis, saying parents should not only watch but talk to their kids.
"Just don’t be afraid to have that conversation, don’t be afraid to check your kids' phones and see what they’re up to," Berkey said.
