The mother of a 13-year-old boy who died after being sold counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl on social media says she desperately hopes no other parents experience her pain.
Luca Manuel, of Redding California, was found unresponsive in his bedroom in August 2020 just weeks before his 14th birthday after purchasing a pill online that he thought would provide relief for toothache.
His mother Amanda Eubanks told People her son had been cruelly robbed of his future, and she hoped by speaking out it would raise awareness about the dangers of the online marketplace in fake pills.
“All I have left are these little memories and Luca doesn’t get to make any more,” she said.
According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, dealers deliberately press pills laced with fentanyl to look like common prescription drugs.
Deaths among 10-19 year olds are increasing at three times the rate of other age groups, Jon Epstein of fentanyl-awareness group Song for Charlie told People.
“Youth are getting hammered from these fake pills,” he said.
Tim Mackey, director of the Global Health Policy and Data Institute, told People that dealers were using social media, encrypted messaging apps and online pharmacies to sell the drugs.
“There’s no quality control of their products, so any pill you’re buying online is extremely dangerous,” he said.
The response from social media companies varies widely, Mr Mackey says. Some block certain hashtags or search terms, which are easy for teenagers to get around, while others use artificial intelligence to search for harmful content.
He said teenagers were particularly susceptible to being exposed to internet drug markets on apps such as Discord or Telegram.
Parental oversight of their internet use could be key to preventing tragedy, he added.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 105,752 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12 months to October 202.
About two-thirds of those deaths involved synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, which are stronger and act faster than natural opiates.
Detectives investigating Luca’s death have charged Ryan Harrison with murder and selling a controlled substance to a minor.
They allegedly found he had been using social media to advertise and sell pills to clients, many of whom were minors. He has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
