"Death disguised as candy": Ohio attorney general warns against rainbow fentanyl

A report on fentanyl overdose deaths can be seen in the player above. COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Law enforcement in Ohio has discovered a deceiving opioid that the state's attorney general describes as "death disguised as candy." According to a release from attorney general David Yost's office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation identified the [...]

A report on fentanyl overdose deaths can be seen in the player above.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Law enforcement in Ohio has discovered a deceiving opioid that the state's attorney general describes as "death disguised as candy."

According to a release from attorney general David Yost's office, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation identified the first case of fentanyl pills that are dyed multiple colors. The pills designed to resemble candy are called "rainbow fentanyl" and more than 1,000 of these pills were seized in the Columbus area recently, according to a Tuesday report from the Franklin County Sheriff's Office.

“These particular pills originated in Mexico but were intercepted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office before they could be distributed,” Yost said in the release. While this is the first time the Ohio BCI has spotted rainbow fentanyl, it's something the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is keeping a close eye on. The DEA warns that traffickers dye the pills various colors to target children.

Last year, the BCI identified more than 9,000 fentanyl items submitted by law enforcement and has processed more than 2,300 fentanyl items this year.