Authorities Issue Warnings After Fake Xanax, Oxycontin Pills Discovery
According to a news report, authorities in Ohio are warning of fake prescription pills after it was discovered that counterfeit Xanax and fake Oxycontin are being sold there. The warning was issued by the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center. According to a news release, the fake pills contain fentanyl, which authorities said is a powerful, potentially lethal, drug.
The number and letter markings, colors, and scoring lines on the fake pills look identical to the real pills, according to the release.
The pills have been discovered by authorities across Ohio, the release said, including the Lake County Crime Lab.
The Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center said these are signs your tablets could be fake:
• The tablets do not come from a licensed healthcare provider
• The tablets are not in prescription packaging (such as a labeled pill bottle)
• The tablets are being sold individually or in unusually small quantities
• The tablets are being sold in unusually large quantities
Here are some symptoms of fentanyl or opioid overdose:
• Not breathing or slow breathing
• Lips and nails turning the wrong color
• Choking or coughing
• Cold or clammy skin
• Pupils in the eyes are extremely small
• Dizziness or disorientation
Naloxone and fentanyl test strips are available at several community walk-in clinics in Northeast Ohio.
