New Jersey Teenager Killed by Pill Containing Fentanyl Sold on Snapchat

Click here to learn more about fake pills made with fentanyl being sold on social media

According to the Trentonian, 18-year-old Max Mather of Medford Township set up a meeting with a man on Snapchat on March 5, 2021 at a local convenience store to purchase some pills. Max thought the pills were real OxyContin, but the pills were counterfeit, and Max was found dead the next day.

The toxicology report found that Max died of fentanyl toxicity and that he also had Xyzaline in his system at the time of his death. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Xyzaline is a veterinary tranquilizer that is not approved for human use. A 19-year-old resident of Cinnaminson Township has been charged with causing Max’s death. 

Since PSM began tracking the sale of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl being sold on social media platforms in 2020, there have been confirmed deaths in 17 states from pills advertised by drug dealers on Snapchat. Additionally, warnings from law enforcement or family members have come from eight states and the District of Columbia. The most recent warning was issued by a mother in Colorado who is speaking out after her teenage daughter almost died after she was poisoned by a fake pill containing fentanyl.