The Colorado State Patrol says it is up to the public to end the demand for fentanyl pills currently flooding into the state.
Law enforcement officials reported the CSP already seized more fentanyl pills by the beginning of this month than it did in all of last year, and residents can look forward to more fatal overdoses from the drug to increase this year, according to a June 1 U.S. Department of Justice news release.
"We appreciate the work law enforcement is doing to take this deadly poison off our streets," U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan said during the conference held at CSP headquarters in Golden, Colo., according to the release. "We also need the help of the public in ending the demand for it. It is risky to take any drug not prescribed by a doctor and obtained from a pharmacy."
The announcement came a day before the first Colorado Fentanyl Summit, a two-day intensive training for law enforcement about fentanyl enforcement, from investigation and case-building through interdiction and prosecution, the release reported. The summit was organized by Denver City Attorney Kristin M. Bronson and hosted by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock and Attorney General Phil Weiser.
During the news conference, law enforcement officials presented data from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area showing more than 2 million dosage units of fentanyl were seized so far this year, the release reported.
"Presently the Patrol's Interdiction Section has seized more fentanyl in the first five months of 2022 than all of 2021," stated Col. Matthew C. Packard, CSP chief, according to the release. "While I would love to tell you that our troopers have eliminated the threat of this deadly drug, what we remove is a drop in the ocean. It's cheap, it's everywhere, including a strong counterfeit market where people think they are taking other forms of pills. If you have a loved one struggling with any form of drug abuse, get them help."
“When we analyze data that indicates increases in drug seizures and dramatic rises in fatal overdoses, it becomes alarmingly apparent that the user market for illicit fentanyl in the state is expanding. To save lives, a unified response between public safety and health professionals will be essential to counter this dangerous trend,” said Executive Director Keith Weis from the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program, the release reported.
