BOISE, Idaho — There have been no reports of drug dealers specifically targeting children with 'rainbow' fentanyl pills in Idaho, according to the Idaho State Police.
ISP found rainbow fentanyl in north Idaho in early August. Before then, it was normal for fentanyl pills to come in blue pill or tablet form, often mimicking the look of a 30-milligram oxycodone pill with the same branded imprints.
The drug's new look led to a press release sent out by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA).
"Rainbow fentanyl - fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes - is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” the DEA's press release said.
It is a narrative that has been repeated by law enforcement agencies around the country, including the Adams County Sheriff's Office in a Facebook post.
"If your kiddos play in public spaces, such as the local park, please be on the lookout for suspicious substances," The Facebook post said.
However, no Idaho law enforcement agencies have seen this scenario play out in reality.
"[The Boise Police Department] does not have any specific reports of 'Rainbow Fentanyl' in relation to our schools or youth," BPD spokesperson Haley Williams said.
The Saint Alphonsus emergency department reports the same finding.
"I haven’t been seeing anyone coming in from this Rainbow fentanyl finding it at the park, any of those specific cases," Saint Alphonsus Emergency Physician Dr. Jessica Kroll said.
That is not to say fentanyl is not a concerning problem - it is. ISP estimates drug overdoses will kill 400 Idahoans in 2022; that is up from roughly 350 overdose deaths the year before, according to ISP Capt. John Kempf.
Law enforcement agencies, including BPD, are concerned about the colorful pills and the possibility someone could mistake the pills for candy; however, ISP is already seeing these pills lose popularity.
Powder fentanyl - sometimes as a rainbow color - is more popular, according to Kempf. And the powder product brings a whole other list of concerns.
"More addictive than cocaine, more addictive than methamphetamine, more addictive than marijuana. There is a school of thought that fentanyl is going to be mixed in with these other drugs to drive the addiction toward fentanyl," Kempf said. "It's gonna be placed in everything. Just in Idaho, you name a controlled substance and we have found fentanyl in it. It is in all drugs."
BPD encourages anyone who encounters what they believe to be fentanyl to contact Ada County Dispatch at (208) 377-6790.
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