St. Clair Drug Task Force seizes enough fentanyl in 2024 to kill nearly 600k people, 3.5 times the county’s population

ST. CLAIR COUNTY (WWJ) The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office said their Drug Task Force seized enough fentanyl in 2024 to kill nearly 600,000 people.

That’s over 3.5 times the population of St. Clair County.

Fentanyl is up to 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times more than morphine. It was initially developed for pain management for cancer patients “but its high potency has made it a prime candidate for misuse,” the sheriff’s office said.

The Drug Task Force said they have found fentanyl mixed with nearly every kind of narcotic--both legal and illegal--including methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine, prescription pills and even marijuana.

According to the sheriff’s office, makers of fentanyl-laced pills can manufacture them to look “exactly the same” as safe, legitimate prescription pills down to the label stamped on them.

The sheriff’s office did not give any further details on their fentanyl seizures.

“Despite the successes, the fight against the fentanyl epidemic is far from over,” Sheriff Mat King said. “…By understanding the dangers of fentanyl and supporting efforts of these specialized units, we can make significant strides towards mitigating the epidemic and saving lives.”