Rainbow fentanyl candy, debunked

The annual Halloween candy media frenzy is back.

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IN a nutshell Hi friends! Did you know fewer than 6% of eligible people in the United States have gotten the newest COVID booster? If you're over 5 years old, you're eligible. Just sayin'. Today, we're taking up the annual media tradition of debunking news about lethal Halloween treats. Since the DEA warned of rainbow-colored fentanyl targeting young people in August, there's been low grade panic that this could be the year we're finally done in by a Halloween candy plot. Spoiler: It's not. We explain why below. Today we'll also be talking about: • how the Ice Bucket Challenge funded a new ALS drug • Christmas is coming earlier than ever this year • more health stories you need Stay sharp, Ginger Wojcik Newsletter Editor, Healthline

Written by Ginger Wojcik October 19, 2022 • 6 min read

what's got us buzzing The real threat of rainbow fentanyl doesn't involve Halloween It happens the same way every year. There's a wave of news stories leading up to Halloween about a widespread plot to poison or otherwise harm children via their Halloween baskets. Then comes the response to this panic — from people like us at Healthline — letting everyone know they can calm down and stop falling for the annual Halloween candy hysteria. This year, the alleged threat is fentanyl — a synthetic opioid that's 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine — dyed with the colors of the rainbow. At the end of August, the DEA released a warning that Mexican drug cartels were flooding the streets with brightly colored fentanyl pills in order to target children and young people. They don't say anything about Halloween but the press release was right on time to become this year's candy basket peril. While there's no evidence of a widespread scheme to distribute fentanyl to young trick or treaters, rainbow fentanyl is definitely a thing. Since August, the DEA has seized the colorful opioid in 26 states, including a bust last week in the Bronx that turned up 300,000 pills and 20 pounds of powder. This comes amidst a global fentanyl crisis that's been getting more dire every month. Last year in the U.S., more people died from fentanyl overdoses than from car accidents. Overdoses from the drug are now the leading cause of death among people between 18 and 45 years old. The takeaway? Your tiny tike is very unlikely to find fentanyl in their Halloween basket, but opioid addiction is a serious issue in the United States. If you or someone you love is living with drug addiction, know that it's never too late to reach out for help. SAMHSA's National Helpline is a free, confidential service that can put you in touch with treatment resources that make sense for your situation. You can reach the helpline at 1-800-662-4357 or you can use this tool to search for a treatment service near you. tl;dr: Rainbow fentanyl became this year's Halloween candy scare after the DEA warned the public that brightly colored drugs were being distributed to lure in children and young people. While there's no evidence of a widespread plot to slip rainbow fentanyl into Halloween baskets, drug busts across the country have been turning up huge amounts of these tinted drugs. Fentanyl overdoses are now the leading cause of death among young adults in the U.S.

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say what   Look who's talking "So I feel like I was just sent away to be hidden." – Paris Hilton on being institutionalized as a teenager     Hilton is one of many people speaking out about their experiences of abuse while being institutionalized for "bad" behavior as teenagers. According to one report, there are 1,591 for-profit facilities like the one Hilton was sent to operating in the U.S. The report details rampant abuse, physical punishment, and a lack of evidence-based treatments. Critics say inaction on the part of the government allows children to continue to be harmed in these institutions.

Wednesday Kick Start There's a new drug for ALS, thanks to the Ice Bucket Challenge Remember a million years ago when everyone was pouring ice cold water over their heads and posting their chilling videos to social media? The Ice Bucket Challenge was a fundraiser for ALS — aka Lou Gehrig's disease — and apparently it was wildly successful. According to the ALS Association, 17 million people participated in the Ice Bucket Challenge in the summer of 2014, raising $115 million. Fast forward 7 years to this September and the FDA has approved a new drug for ALS, which the organization says was funded with the money raised by the Ice Bucket Challenge. The new drug, Relyvrio, claims to slow the progression of the disease and may extend a person's life by 4 to 6 months (ALS has a 2- to 5-year survival rate). But the news hasn't been all good. Critics point out the drug was green-lighted despite only completing a single human trial with 137 people. The FDA says its decision was sound considering the aggressive and fatal nature of ALS, and because the drug has been shown to be safe. Relyvrio is reportedly priced at a whopping $158,000 a year (the company that makes the drug, Amylyx Pharmaceuticals, claims insurers will cover most of the cost).

health stories you need What we're reading next Is "middle child syndrome" a real thing? Alfred Adler's birth order theory is still used by some psychotherapists. But does it hold any weight? Planned Parenthood is launching a mobile abortion clinic. The first mobile clinic will set up in Illinois, close to the border with Missouri, where abortion is almost completely banned. Want to remove and preserve a dead relatives tattoo? This company will help you do it.

you're up Make those spooky cocktails while you can, because Christmas is coming and it's coming fast. Christmas Creep, as the cool kids call it, is the gradual expansion of the holiday shopping season. This year, big retailers like Target and Walmart started ringing the holiday shopping bells in early October, before most of us had even thought about what we were going to wear for Halloween. And while many of you can't wait to get started drinking eggnog and listening to Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You," the holidays can also be a tough time of year. If you aren't close with family or live with a mental health condition, an extra month of incessant holiday cheer may not be what the doctor ordered. No matter how you feel about the holidays, we want to kindly remind you to take care of yourself during the dark winter months; find ways to exercise, prioritize sleep, moderate the boozing, and yes, get your COVID booster. We want to know: Do you love holidays or would you rather fast-forward to January? Tell us why at wellnesswire@healthline.com.

Thanks for reading! We've been having such a good time reading all your wonderful responses to our emails. Keep them coming! (Yes, actually we read them all.) See you on Friday!

Until next time, Take care of yourself, and we'll see you again soon!     This edition was powered by a zillion trips to the park to tire out the pup   View in browser Did a friend send you this email? Subscribe here. To see all newsletters, click here. Privacy    |    Unsubscribe © 2022 Healthline Media 1423 Red Ventures Drive, Fort Mill, SC 29707