Rainbow Fentanyl raises concerns in Roseville and throughout region

Deadly drug designed to appeal to minors

Roseville, Calif.- The Placer County District Attorney's Office major narcotics unit is reporting on rainbow-colored batches of fentanyl making its way into the county, seemingly designed to market to minors.   

"To be clear, all fentanyl purchased on the street is deadly, no matter the color, shape, size, or form," said Placer County District Attorney Morgan Gire, "Yet we find this rainbow-colored substance is one of the many tools that dealers are using to make the poison appeal to our kids. Any form of narcotic that does not come from a doctor's prescription could be lethal, but we want the community to know these multi-colored powders are one of the trends we are seeing in the fentanyl market." 

Fentanyl Deaths

Placer County has seen a 450% increase in fentanyl deaths between 2019-2021.  According to the CDC, fentanyl is now the number one cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45, surpassing suicide and car accident-related deaths. Nearly half the of Placer County fentanyl deaths have been under 25 years old.  

Reports are showing that many of these sales are happening on app-based programs such as Instagram, Snapchat and Tik Tok. Fentanyl can come in the form of fake prescription pills, off-market vape pens and are even being reported to be found in marijuana.  

From participating in the  "One pill can kill Placer" campaign, to pushing public service announcements, to aggressive prosecution, to working on statewide legislation, the Placer County District Attorney's Office remains committed to fighting the fentanyl crisis in the county. 

Through the Placer County District Attorney's Office Speakers Panel — the One Pill Can Kill campaign is taking this message directly to the schools. Partnering with local school districts, the campaign is holding forums and attending rallies at local schools to educate parents and students on the dangers of fentanyl. The forums started this week and will continue throughout the school year.  

"Our biggest tool we have against this epidemic is to open the lines of communication," continued Gire. "We need to remove the stigma surrounding issues that are affecting our kids today and what mechanisms they are using to cope with those issues. Fentanyl has changed the landscape – what was once considered harmless experimentation can lead to death.  Kids trying pills they believe are something else are dying the first time and it is absolutely devastating. We will continue to prosecute aggressively dealers who sell this poison in our community, but that is only a part of tackling this epidemic. Be aware and talk with your loved ones openly about these dangers." 

Learn more about the county's campaign against fentanyl at www.1pillcankillplacer.com