NEW YORK (PIX11) — Drug Enforcement Administration agents seized enough fentanyl-laced prescription pills and fentanyl powder in the state of New York in 2022 to kill tens of millions of people, officials said Thursday.
Agents seized 1.9 million fentanyl-laced, fake prescription pills and 1,958 pounds of fentanyl, which is the equivalent of 72 million lethal doses, according to the authorities. A fentanyl dose weighing just two to three milligrams can be deadly, DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino III said.
“To put that into perspective, throughout 2022 we seized enough deadly doses of fentanyl in New York for more than three times the population of New York State,” he said.
A single tablet can kill, Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan warned. There were more than 3,000 fatal overdoses in New York City in the 12-month period ending in July of 2022, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Around 80% of those deaths were due to fentanyl.
“Thousands of New Yorkers are mourning precious lives claimed by deadly fentanyl last year.” Brennan said. “Fentanyl saturates the illegal drug supply in New York City and is a factor in roughly 80% of overdose deaths.”