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DEA warns parents about drug dealers targeting teens on social media
OMAHA, Neb. —
As students head back to school, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is warning parents about a growing way teenagers can be exposed to illegal drugs, through their phones.
DEA Omaha Field Division Public Information Officer Emily Murray says drug traffickers are using platforms including Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and TikTok to advertise drugs using coded language and emojis.
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Murray says a post may only be online briefly. Once someone responds, the conversation can quickly move to encrypted apps such as WhatsApp or Signal. Payment can then be made through services including Cash App or Venmo, with drugs potentially delivered directly to a buyer’s home.
The DEA said counterfeit pills are especially dangerous because they can look identical to legitimate prescription medications. Murray said the only safe prescription medication is one prescribed by a trusted doctor and filled at a pharmacy.
The DEA has seized more than 67,000 fentanyl pills across its five-state region so far this year.
Parents can find resources and the DEA’s “Hidden on Your Kid’s Phone” video series here.
