Prince Was Killed by a “Kill Pill” Containing Fentanyl
Price died in April 2016, but new details about his death have sparked fears about a “kill pill” – and the role that kill pill has played in thousands of accidental deaths across America.
That “kill pill” contains a lethal dose of synthetic fentanyl. Fentanyl is the trendy (and super dangerous) painkiller that’s being used by everyone from teenagers (looking for a high) to aging rock stars (trying to soothe chronic pain).
The problem is that these fentanyl pills are so deadly that they’re being called kill pills. You might think you’re buying a powerful dose of painkiller – when in reality, you’re buying something that is 100 times stronger than morphine.
It Takes a Dose of Fentanyl Just Three Times the Size of a Grain of Sand to Kill You
Why is fentanyl being called a kill pill? There are three core reasons:
-It’s cheap
-It’s easy to obtain (you can order it online through illegal websites on the dark web)
-You need a dose equivalent in size to three grains of salt to kill
A lethal dose of fentanyl is incredibly small. When you buy it in bulk form from the internet, it’s easy to use a dose that’s too strong.
Making things infinitely worse is that the drugs you purchase from the internet are usually labeled as something less potent: one news report claimed that “even forensic scientists can’t tell whether some of the pills sold on the street are counterfeit or not just by looking at them.” The counterfeiters have become really good at making fake painkillers.
Many People Are Taking Fake Painkillers Without Knowing It
Do you order prescription painkillers online through less-than-legal websites? If so, then you may not be getting the prescription painkillers that are on the label.
Instead, many of these online drug distributors are mixing fentanyl with traditional painkillers. You get the same opioid-like effect, but it costs counterfeiters less money to produce.
In many cases, these illegal counterfeit drugs are labeled as something less potent. So you might think you’re taking a normal dose of something – but in reality, you’re taking a near-fatal dose of something like fentanyl.
Anybody Who Purchases Illegal Drugs Could Unknowingly Be Buying Kill Pills
When someone overdoses on a painkiller, it’s easy to think it could never happen to you. After all, you’re careful about your dosing and know how your body reacts to different drugs.
But none of that matters when illegal drug manufacturers start using mislabeled fentanyl dosages in their prescription painkillers. All of a sudden, your safe dose of a painkiller turns into a lethal dose of something that’s 100 times more powerful than morphine.
MyStateline.com interviewed Carol Falkowski, CEO of Drug Abuse Dialogues, who said,
“Synthetic fentanyl showing up in the street drug supply is an enormous game changer. It means anybody who purchases illegal drugs can unknowingly be taking fentanyl, which is 100 times stronger than morphine.”
Prince Died of Fentanyl Toxicity, But Was Taking Pills Labeled as Hydrocodone
Hydrocodone is a powerful prescription painkiller. After Prince’s death earlier this year, authorities searched his Minnesota home and reportedly found bottles marked as hydrocodone.
Those pills, when tested, were revealed to have fentanyl inside. It’s unclear if Prince definitely took those pills, but his autopsy revealed that he died of fentanyl toxicity.
Ultimately, fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It’s stronger than any prescription painkiller on the market. It works in the same way as other opiates (which is basically just an oral dose of heroin) but in a much stronger way.
That’s why so many people are calling them kill pills. In Minnesota in 2015, half of all drug-related deaths were related to prescription medication – not illegal street drugs. 216 of those deaths occurred as a result of opioid pain relievers like fentanyl, compared to 114 deaths from heroin.
We hear a lot about the dangers of heroin and other hard drugs. However, right now, painkillers like fentanyl consist of a clearer and more present danger to our society.
