Las Vegas police say growing number of middle schoolers trying fentanyl
By Caitlin Lilly
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LAS VEGAS (KVVU) — The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department is warning valley teens about the dangers of fentanyl as the summer months quickly approach.
According to a news release from LVMPD, fentanyl is showing up in drugs and pills that are coming across the border from Mexico. The department says teenagers think they’re taking a prescription pill. However, but the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says 40% of counterfeit pills that come into the country contain deadly amounts of fentanyl.
In Clark County, according to LVMPD, the area experienced a 196% increase in fentanyl-related overdoses between 2019 and 2020.
The department notes that narcotics detectives are seeing a growing number of middle school children trying fentanyl, “not realizing the deadly consequences.”
In 2020 and 2021, 16 kids under the age of 18 were killed in Clark County due to fentanyl overdose, according to Las Vegas police. Adding that, “many of the victims had no idea what was in the pills they took.”
With the summer months approaching “and parties ramping up,” the police department has created a social media campaign to educate and warn teens of the dangers of taking any pills that are not prescribed to them by their doctor.
To watch the three videos Metro put together, visit the department’s YouTube page: youtube.com/c/LasVegasMetropolitanPolice
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