Seized fentanyl this past week by the LaFayette Police Department

In recent days, law enforcement officers in Northwest Georgia have seized fentanyl – a dangerous drug that kills hundreds of people each day in the United States.

This past week, LaFayette Police said officers made a traffic stop and a passenger attempted to conceal an item that contained several suspected fentanyl pills. Upon a further search, another pack of suspected fentanyl pills were located on the suspect’s person along with some suspected methamphetamine and other drug related objects.   Recently, Chattooga County deputies performed a traffic stop on the Lyerly Highway near Raccoon Creek bridge and Chattooga County Sheriff’s K-9 “Dendy” turned up fentanyl taped underneath a vehicle.

The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta says that fentanyl is one of the most dangerous illegal narcotics on the streets today, killing an estimated 150 people every day in the United States.  The drug is 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

There are two types of fentanyl:pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Both are considered synthetic opioids.

Illegal drugs may contain deadly levels of fentanyl, and you wouldn’t be able to see it, taste it, or smell it. It is nearly impossible to tell if drugs have been laced with fentanyl.

The Director of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Anne Milgram says, “Fentanyl is everywhere.  From large metropolitan areas to rural America, no community is safe from this poison.  We must take every opportunity to spread the word to prevent fentanyl-related overdose death and poisonings from claiming scores of American lives every day.”

If you suspect illegal drug activity, you can report that to the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit Drug Task Force by contacting them HERE – and you can remain anonymous.