Colorado Department of Law report finds social media is used to easily sell and buy fentanyl
DENVER, Colo. (KRDO) -- A new report from the Colorado Attorney General's Office highlights how easy it is to get fentanyl through social media.
According to our Denver news partners, the report notes that social media increases the "ease of access" to finding and purchasing fentanyl. It also emphasizes several loopholes online, which allow dealers to continue their presence on the sites.
“As innovative online services and platforms weave their way into nearly every aspect of our lives, they also threaten to fuel a dangerous killer—the increasing ease of access to deadly substances, including fentanyl,” Attorney General Phil Weiser told 9News.
A Thornton mother told 9News her teen son bought a pill he thought was Percocet on Snapchat. It was, however, laced with fentanyl and killed him.
Weiser said he wants more transparency from platforms that will hopefully stop fentanyl distribution. His office said social media platforms should be required to disclose how they're operating.
According to the report, social media companies are taking anywhere from three weeks to three months to give information on drug dealers and their activities to authorities. The report said by the time the information is given to law enforcement, it's outdated.
