One of the most popular holidays on our calendar is Halloween — now just weeks away. Around sunset on Oct. 31, millions of kids will take to the streets to “trick or treat.” Dressed in costumes, they will go house to house collecting candies and other treats.
All fun and games, right? However, is potential disaster looming?
Everyone should be aware of the possibility that fentanyl — a deadly drug — could find its way into trick or treat bags this year.
I mentioned this on social media, and some indicated they will only allow their kids to visit people they know. While that’s better, even that is risky.
Let’s look at what fentanyl is and why it is so dangerous.
Natalie I. Rine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, says: “Fentanyl is a … man-made opioid … a substance that … creates a temporary — yet powerful — feeling of pleasure. Opioids can be prescribed by physicians … but many can be obtained illegally …. opioids are addictive …. Fentanyl … is one of the deadliest drugs and affects people in all fifty states…”
Writing for the Partnership to End Addiction, Pat Aussem, director of clinical content development, highlighted three important facts in April 2017:
1. “Deaths from drug overdoses reached a staggering 100,300 in the 12-month period ending in April 2021 — representing a nearly 30% increase … and was largely driven by fentanyl.”
2. “While some people seek out fentanyl, others unknowingly consume it ….” Both illegal drugs and some “… counterfeit pills … have been laced with it.”
3. “Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin or morphine.”
Okay, but why the concern about even people we know?
Although we can be reasonably sure that legitimate manufacturers won’t knowingly introduce fentanyl into their goods, what about rogue employees? Also, what about knockoff manufacturers in cahoots with those who seek our destruction? Not surprisingly, the Chinese Communist Party is the leading source of the fentanyl that makes its way into the United States.
We also know the drug cartels with operational control of our southern border are complicit with the Chinese in getting fentanyl into America. The Justice Department and Drug Enforcement Administration confirm this coalition. DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said, “… two major cartels in Mexico — the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel — are the driving forces behind getting fentanyl across the U.S. border,” calling the groups “the greatest threat facing U.S. communities ….” She further stated: “These cartels are responsible for virtually all the fentanyl, and they currently dominate the worldwide fentanyl distribution and supply chain …. They are operating the transportation networks that are bringing the fentanyl into the United States. They run and oversee the sales of fentanyl on social media and in our cities, our communities, and our towns.”
And let’s not forget the traitorous politicians in our own government as well as the media who support open borders — they are just as guilty, in my view.
Finally, fentanyl is being manufactured to closely resemble well-known candy brands, such as Nerds or Skittles, in a form known as rainbow fentanyl. Obviously, the target market for these items is children — hence my fears about Halloween.
Clearly, this may not be the best time to engage in activities that can be so easily exploited by those who wish us harm. Because of the potential danger, I believe we should forego trick or treat altogether this year. I have an uneasy feeling about it that I just can’t shake, and others have expressed similar concerns. Hopefully, we are completely wrong; I pray we are. However, if we must err, let it be on the side of caution. Too many young lives could be in jeopardy.
