LOWELL — The Lowell Police Department, in collaboration with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), has unveiled a new police cruiser designed to raise awareness of the dangers posed by fentanyl and fake pills that look like real prescription pills.
The department has wrapped a police cruiser with graphics warning that One Pill Can Kill to raise awareness of the dangers posed by fake pills that look like real prescription pills. The cruiser will be driven by a School Resource Officer assigned to Lowell High School.
The DEA says fentanyl imported by drug cartels is the most urgent threat to communities, kids, and families that the nation currently faces. DEA laboratory testing indicates that 5 out of 10 fake pills seized by the DEA contain a potentially fatal dose of fentanyl, a number that was just updated from 7 of 10 previously.
The DEA seized more than 78.4 million pills containing fentanyl in 2023, a number that was up from 58 million pills in 2022.
The leading cause of death of Americans between ages 18 and 45 is drug poisoning, which killed a total of 110,757 Americans in the last year. Fentanyl was involved in 70 percent of those deaths. Fentanyl also caused approximately 22 deaths per week among those age 13 to 17.
“Many people who have died from pills laced with fentanyl had no idea what was in the pills, believing the tablets to be legitimate medications produced by legitimate manufacturers,” said Superintendent Hudon. “These pills are fake, contain fentanyl, and can easily trick anyone who is purchasing drugs outside of a pharmacy. The Lowell Police Department and the DEA urge residents of all ages to avoid using pills that do not come directly from a legitimate pharmacy with a legitimate prescription. If you do, you are risking your life with each and every tablet.”
Lowell Police and the DEA are collaborating to spread the One Pill Can Kill message as part of the DEA’s Operation Engage, a four-year-old initiative aimed at spreading awareness of the dangers of fake pills that look like real prescription pills by engaging police, faith-based organizations, workplaces, schools and more.
Leaders from DEA New England have met with Police Superintendent Hudon, Mayor Daniel Rourke, Superintendent of Schools Liam Skinner and City Manager Tom Golden as part of their outreach efforts, which target both city and community leaders.
“Fentanyl is causing deaths in record numbers making it crucial for the DEA to continue to spread the messaging in our ‘One Pill Can Kill’ campaign throughout New England in any way we can,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, New England Field Division. “The partnership with the Lowell Police Department and their willingness to wrap a cruiser shows their continued commitment to the community and solidifies a partnership between the DEA and the City of Lowell.”
To learn more about the One Pill Can Kill campaign, or to find resources that can help parents talk to their children about this issue, visit: https://www.dea.gov/onepill.
