On April 19, 2018 it was announced by Carver County attorney Mark Metz, that no criminal charges will be filed in Prince’s death.
Prince died on April 21,2016, from an accidental fentanyl overdose after taking counterfeit Vicodin pills that were laced with fentanyl.
During a press conference it was reported that there was no evidence to how he obtained the counterfeit pills, who may have supplied the counterfeit pills, or if he had any knowledge that the pills were counterfeit.
Law enforcement officials and medical practitioners say that counterfeit opioid pills have been flooding the illicit drug market resulting in people unwittingly taking very potent combinations of unknown substances. These counterfeit pills have resulted in not only making people sick but are seen as a contributor to an increase in overdose deaths
The rise in counterfeit pills seems to be in reaction to states enacting stricter prescription limits in an attempt to slow the opioid epidemic.
Officials say that the pills come to the United States from Mexico or China and are incredibly lucrative. In Arizona, the DEA seized at least 70,000 counterfeit pills in 2017. Additionally, counterfeit pills have been found in at least 40 states and have killed people in at least 17 states between April 2015 and September 2017. Unfortunately, as long as the pills are easy to make and continue to make money, they will continue to be a health problem in the United States.
It is estimated that there were 62,497 overdose deaths in the United States in 2016.
If you or someone you love is struggling with an opioid addiction or addiction to any substance including alcohol, call us to schedule a free assessment at 1-866-772-8491. Treatment works and help is possible.
