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The amount of teens with drug addictions has skyrocketed at a terrifying pace over the past few years. More teenagers are being exposed to opioids because social media usage among this group has provided a secure and anonymous place to source drugs.
Not only are the dealers’ true identities hidden when on social media, they are able to reach a wide crowd of young people.
This ease of connecting can have devastating consequences.
For example, a young woman named Coco who had just turned 17 had gone to meet up with her dealer – whom she had met through social media – to buy Percocet. However, CBS News reported “(Coco) was found dead the next day, two blocks from the address that the guy had provided her.”
The drug was not Percocet, but in fact a pill that was laced in fentanyl and proved lethal to Coco.
Although social media is a place that can connect young people and foster community in a world where talking can be hard at times, it can also become a place for dealers to sell drugs discreetly.
Many people can easily take advantage of how easy it is to hide behind a fake name online to sell opioids to minors and it is important to continue to advocate for child safety measurements online and that we fight to expose the discreet opioid dealing that goes unnoticed.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
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