UPDATE: Longview Fire Department officials said Tuesday that a suspicious substance with the appearance of candy did not test positive for the potentially deadly narcotic fentanyl.
The department posted on its Facebook page a few days ago that firefighters found a bag containing a substance that looked like candy, and the substance tested positive for fentanyl. At the time, Fire Marshal Kevin May posted that information to make the community aware of the potential danger that exposure to the drug could cause, he said.
However, in a post Tuesday, the department clarified that the substance had not tested positive for fentanyl.
"Since that post was released, we have been informed that the investigating agency has not confirmed the presence of fentanyl in the candy," May wrote Tuesday on Facebook.
May said the department wants people to know that the possibility of being exposed to potentially deadly narcotics exists. Anyone who thinks he or she may have come into contact with fentanyl or any other illicit drugs should seek medical treatment immediately by calling 911.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story was corrected to state that information was provided by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and its spokesman, Thomas Vazquez.
Longview firefighters recently found a potentially lethal narcotic made to look like candy while responding to a medical call at a local home.
The discovery underscores the impact the opioid epidemic continues to have on the United States and highlights the need for parents to educate their children about the dangers of drugs, officials said.
The Longview Fire Department posted on Facebook that firefighters found a blue-, white- and green-colored substance that looked like candy. It tested positive for fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has killed tens of thousands of Americans as part of a nationwide epidemic.
Longview Fire Marshal Kevin May did not provide other details about the incident. He said he posted a photo of the substance and information about it to alert community members.
The nation is facing a fentanyl crisis, with roughly 150 Americans dying each day from fentanyl overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. An estimated five Texans die each day from fentanyl poisoning, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.
The drug is a pain killer that is significantly more potent than morphine, and it is deadly in small doses. The majority of overdose deaths are caused by fentanyl that is produced illegally and not prescribed by a doctor.
The drug often is mixed with other illicit drugs, and it can be made to look like pills or candy. It can be found in liquid or power forms, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Fentanyl has become one of the leading causes of death among people between the ages of 18 and 45, according to the agency.
Keeping youth safe
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission encourages parents to talk with their children about the dangers of fentanyl, as the drug epidemic is “harming Texas youth at an especially alarming rate,” according to the agency’s website.
Young adults and teenagers can purchase counterfeit pills and other illicit substances on social media, though the buyers might not know that they’re purchasing substances laced with fentanyl, according to the agency.
“Teens and young adults are at risk for experiencing overdose from fake pills because they often believe they’re consuming medication to help address anxiety or ADHD — not to address pain,” Thomas Vazqeuz, a spokesman for the agency, wrote in an email. “People should only take legitimate pharmaceutical medications prescribed by medical professionals and dispensed by pharmacies.”
Longview police spokesman Brandon Thornton said parents should use discretion regarding the candy their children eat and should follow the same guidelines they’d follow at Halloween.
“If the stuff is not individually wrapped and wrapped like it came from a store, you wouldn’t want to ingest anything like that,” Thornton said. “Don’t let them eat it.”
How to respond to an overdose
A person experiencing an overdose may fall asleep or lose consciousness, have weak breathing or stop breathing, make choking or gurgling sounds, have a limp body, have constricted “pinpoint” pupils and have discolored, cold and or clammy skin, according to the CDC.
Telling whether someone has overdosed on fentanyl may be difficult, according to the CDC. However, the agency urges people to treat a suspected overdose as an overdose.
Those who suspect that someone has had an overdose should call 911, administer anti-overdose drug naloxone if it is available, keep the person awake and breathing, lay the person on his or her side to prevent choking and remain with the person until first responders arrive, according to the CDC.
Naloxone can reverse the effects of opioid overdoses and is available for purchase at pharmacies without a prescription.
Texas deaths have risen
The number of fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Texas has increased sharply in the past decade, according to data from the state health agency. In 2014, the state had 79 fentanyl-related overdose deaths, compared with 2,152 in 2023. Fentanyl deaths account for 44.55% of all drug-related deaths in Texas.
Mexican drug cartels have shipped the drug into the U.S. via the southern border and via mail, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
An April 16 report by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Select Committee on the CCP revealed that the Chinese government, under the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party, has funded the manufacturing exporting of illegal fentanyl materials. Chinese officials, however, deny that the government has any role in the U.S. fentanyl epidemic.
