Fake Oxycontin pills are widespread and potentially deadly

They first emerged on the illicit drug market in the United States in 2014. They are usually laced with potentially lethal fentanyl

The rate at which young Americans end up in hospital Intensive Care Units (ICUs) after using fake Oxycontin pills spiked with fentanyl is skyrocketing, especially in the western United States, a new report warns.

Medical toxicology data from an unnamed hospital in the western US found that the number of overdose cases from fake Oxycontin “M-30” pills increased from just three in 2017 to 209 during 2022, according to a Centers team. for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The majority of patients (81%) required hospital care and more than two-thirds of those patients spent time in the ICU. Two patients died while hospitalized, the report found. Young men were the most likely victims: Men made up 71 percent of the cases, and patients ages 15 to 34 made up more than two-thirds of the cases, said a team led by CDC researcher Emily Glidden. .