According to the article from the Star Herald linked below, several drugs including, marijuana, methamphetamine, and fentanyl were seized in 2020 by the Omaha DEA Division, which includes five states. The seizure of marijuana in 2020 was “six times higher” than what was seized in 2019, and methamphetamine seizures increased “68% in 2020.” Although those numbers are alarming, what seemed more alarming is the amount of fentanyl that was seized. The Omaha Division of the DEA, which includes five states, seized 5.5 pounds, while the Nebraska State Patrol seized an additional 10.7 pounds for a total of 16.2 pounds of fentanyl. Although that may not sound like a lot, it is important to know that fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine with a lethal dose being “2 milligrams, or the equivalent of a few grains of salt.” Those 16.2 pounds of seized fentanyl is equivalent to almost 3.75 million lethal doses!
Michelle Hruska, LIMHP, LADC
NE LAP Coordinator
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