One Pill Can Kill
DEA Laboratory Testing Reveals that 6 out of 10 Fentanyl-Laced Fake Prescription Pills Now Contain a Potentially Lethal Dose of Fentanyl
The DEA Laboratory has found that, of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills analyzed in 2022, six out of ten now contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. This is an increase from DEA’s previous announcement in 2021 that four out of ten fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills were found to contain a potentially lethal dose.
Facts About Fake Pills
- Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public.
- Fake pills are easy to purchase, widely available, often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly.
- Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.
- Many fake pills are made to look like prescription drugs such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®).
Legit or Fake
Authentic Oxycodone
Synthetic opioid drug prescribed for pain as OxyContin®, Tylox®, and Percodan®. These drugs are derived from one species of the poppy plant, and have a high potential for abuse.

Authentic Oxycodone Front

Authentic Oxycodone Back
Authentic Oxycodone
Side by Side
Fake
Street Names: 30s; 40s; 512s; Beans; Blues; Buttons; Cotton; Greens; Hillbilly Heroin; Kickers; Killers; Muchachas; Mujeres; OC; Oxy; Oxy 80s; Roxy; Roxy Shorts; Whites
Fake Oxycodone Front
Fake Oxycodone Back
Fake Oxycodone Side by Side
Authentic Alprazolam
Depressants that produce sedation, induce sleep, relieve anxiety and prevent seizures. Available in prescription pills, syrup and injectable preparation. Prescribed as Valium®, Xanax®, Restoril®, Ativan®, Klonopin®
Authentic Xanax® Back
Authentic Xanax® Front
Authentic Xanax®
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Fake
Street Names: Bars; Benzos; Bicycle Handle Bars; Bicycle Parts; Bricks; Footballs; Handlebars; Hulk; Ladders; Planks; School Bus; Sticks; Xanies; Yellow Boys; Zanbars; Zannies; Z-Bars
Fake Xanax® Front
Fake Xanax® Back
Fake Xanax®
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Authentic Amphetamine
Prescription stimulants used to treat Attention-Deficit / Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Used as a study aid, to stay awake, and to suppress appetites. Prescribed as Adderall®, Concerta®, Dexedrine®, Focalin®, Metadate®, Methylin®, Ritalin®.
Authentic Adderall® Front
Authentic Adderall® Back
Authentic Adderall®
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Fake
Street Names: A-Train; Abby; Addy; Amps; Christmas Trees; Co-Pilots; Lid Poppers; Smart Pills; Smarties; Study Buddies; Study Skittles; Truck Drivers; Zing
Fake Adderall® Front
Fake Adderall® Back
Fake Adderall®
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The images of legitimate and fake pills are examples and do not represent the many variations of fake pills. Never trust your own eyes to determine if a pill is legitimate. The only safe medications are ones prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.
- What Every Parent and Caregiver Needs to Know About Fake Pills
- Lo que todo padre y cuidador debe saber sobre las PASTILLAS FALSAS
- Fentanyl Poisoning Resources for Parents
- How Teens Misuse Medicine
- Drug Overdose Deaths Top 103,000, Slightly Down From 2021
- Buying Drugs Online – What You Should Know & How to Protect Your Kids
- 10 Strategies to Prevent Your Young Person from Using Drugs
- Severe Opioid Overdoses Rose by Nearly a Third During Pandemic
- Growing Up Drug Free - a Parent's Guide to Prevention
DEA Resources:
- 2020 National Drug Threat Assessment
- Drugs of Abuse
- DEA Fentanyl Drug Factsheet
- Fentanyl: The Next Wave of the Opioid Crisis
- Fentanyl Flow to the United States
- Fentanyl-Laced Crack Cocaine a Deadly New Threat
- Drug Education and Prevention
- DEA Fentanyl Related Press Releases
- Operation Prevention
- DEA’s "One Pill Can Kill" Flickr album: fake pill and drug photos
- www.JustThinkTwice.com (for teens)
- www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com (for parents, caregivers, and teachers)
- www.CampusDrugPrevention.gov (for teachers and college campus community leaders/advisors)
CDC Resources:
- Counterfeit Medicine
- Notes from the Field - Counterfeit Percocet
- Opioid Overdose
- Increase in Fatal Drug Overdoses Across the United States Driven by Synthetic Opioids Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States
Food and Drug Administration
Department of Health and Human Services
- What are Opioids
- National Opioid Crisis
- Drug overdose deaths in 2020 were horrifying
- A Patients Guide to Fentanyl - National Library of Medicine
National Institute on Drug Abuse Resources
If you or someone you know has a mental health condition or a substance use disorder, there are resources and services available to assist with screening, treatment, and recovery:
SAMHSA's National Helpline
1-800-662-HELP (4357)
TTY: 1-800-487-4889
Website:
www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
www.https://www.findtreatment.gov
Also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service, this Helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential treatment referral and information about mental health and substance use disorders, prevention, and recovery, in English and Spanish.
Drug-Free Workplace
1-800-WORKPLACE (967-5752)
Website: www.samhsa.gov/workplace/resources/drug-free-helpline
Assists employers and union representatives with policy development, drug testing, employee assistance, employee education, supervisor training, and program implementation.
Naloxone
Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist. This means that it attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids. Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose.
- Naloxone Drug Facts | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Opioid Overdose Toolkit | SAMHSA
- Naloxone for Opioid Overdose: Life-Saving Science | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Is naloxone accessible? | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- The Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative | NIH HEAL Initiative
- Medications to Treat Opioid Disorder | National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Buprenorphine Practitioner & Treatment Program Locator
Find information on locating practitioners and treatment programs authorized to treat addiction and dependence on opioids, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers, at SAMSHA.gov.
Opioid Treatment Program Directory
Find treatment programs in your state that treat addiction and dependence on opioids, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers at Opioid Treatment Program Directory.
Learn More
Find out more about these treatment topics:
- SAMHSA Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator: Confidential and anonymous source for individuals seeking treatment facilities for substance use disorder, addiction, and mental health concerns.
- Find a Health Center: Some health centers provide mental health and substance use disorder services. Contact the health center directly to confirm availability of specific services and to make an appointment.
DEA. 6 June, 2023. . Retrieved from https://www.dea.gov/es/onepill on 6 June, 2023
DEA. "."Drug Enforcement Agency, 6 June, 2023, https://www.dea.gov/es/onepill Accessed 6 June, 2023.
DEA. . Drug Enforcement Agency on DEA website. https://www.dea.gov/es/onepill. 6 June, 2023. Accessed 6 June, 2023.