LPS students will be returning to classrooms on Monday and the Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division is reminding families to make time for conversations about the unintended consequences of drug experimentation.
Fentanyl and methamphetamine remain the top two drugs seized by DEA investigators in Nebraska according to Assistant Special Agent in Charge Justin Dillard. “Mexican cartels, namely CJNG and Sinaloa, continue to press pills designed to look like common prescription medications such as Xanax , Adderall and Oxycodone .
He tells KLIN News these fake pills so closely resemble legitimate prescription medications that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a fentanyl pill and a pharmaceutical. “DEA laboratory testing indicates that seven out of every 10 fake pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl,” Dillard says. “The only safe medication is one prescribed specifically to you by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.”
He says a lethal dose of fentanyl is only two milligrams. Dillard says vaping and marijuana use among youth remain topics of concern. “According to the 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among adolescents aged 12-17 who used marijuana in the past year, more than half vaped marijuana, followed by about one-third who ate or drank marijuana.”
Dillard says many parents often wonder if their kids are listening when they talk. “As much as you think your kids don’t listen to you, they do. They may give you some grief from time to time, but they listen and they’re watching.”
The DEA says your conversation could save a loved one from putting themselves in a dangerous situation. For more information on how to talk about the dangers of drugs, visit www.JustThinkTwice.gov or www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.gov.