16-year-old in Kansas Killed by Fake Pill Sold on Snapchat

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Kansas joined the growing list of states in which the Partnership for Safe Medicines (PSM) has documented a confirmed death caused by a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl sold on Snapchat. KSHB in Kansas City spoke with Libby and Randy Davis about the death of their son, Cooper. He was just 16-years-old when he was poisoned and died on August 29, 2021 after he ingested half of a Percocet pill sold to him by a dealer on Snapchat. 

Social media apps make it easy for anyone to find a drug dealer or be targeted by one. Parents and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) have been working to raise awareness of the existence of counterfeit pills and calling on all social media platforms to do more to keep their platforms safe. In its first public safety in six years, the DEA said that 40 percent of the counterfeit pills tested in 2021 contained a potential fatal amount of fentanyl.

To date, PSM has confirmed deaths in 15 states from fake pills containing fentanyl sold to the victims via Snapchat, with additional warnings in six other states as well as the District of Columbia.