What’s ‘rainbow fentanyl’? Drug that looks like candy seized in 18 states, feds say

Brightly colored drugs dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” have been found in 18 states in the past month, federal officials reported.

The drugs are sold as pills, powder and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk, the Drug Enforcement Administration warned in a news release. The new packaging has a sinister intent, it says.

“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes — is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in the release.

Supplies of the drug, which in pill form can resemble candy, were seized by the DEA and law enforcement officers, the release said.

Mexican drug cartels are responsible for most of the fentanyl in the United States, Milgram said in the release.

“Despite claims that certain colors may be more potent than others, there is no indication through DEA’s laboratory testing that this is the case,” the release said.

“Every color, shape and size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous,” according to the agency.

Fentanyl is an opioid 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more powerful than morphine, the DEA said. As little as 2 milligrams, or 10-15 grains of table salt, can be fatal.

The release called fentanyl “the deadliest drug threat facing this country,” with synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounting for 66% of the more than 100,000 overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2021.

“Drug poisonings are the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45,” the DEA said.

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