Now when Snapchat users search for “fenta”, “xanax” or other drug slang, the results are blocked. They are being redirected to an in-app video channel with content from nonprofits and the CDC that deals with “fenta pills” – the dangers of alleged OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax and Adderall.
According to the latest community standards report, Facebook took action on four million drug-related exchanges worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2021. Instagram took action on 1.2 million, numbers representing alerts from both users and preventive detection technology.
On Instagram, a recent search for Percocet triggered an automatic warning and an offer of help. But it also yielded numerous results, including an account that posted pictures of the pills and contact information, with phone numbers on the encrypted messaging apps Wickr and WhatsApp.
And when companies remove dealers from their platforms, many merchants simply jump to another.
“We detect about 10,000 new drug-related accounts per month,” says Dr. Mackey, whose software company detects illegal online drug trafficking for private and public organizations.
Most drug seekers won’t just search for a drug by name, he said. They can use a hashtag that has a celebrity associated with it. Enterprising dealers troll comments for customers and join online exchanges among seekers for pain relief.
Drug use has skyrocketed during the pandemic as mental health deteriorated among young adults and teenagers, studies show. Young people tend to avoid heroin, not only because of its addictive properties, but also because of a timidity about injecting, say adolescent behavior experts. Pills, with the false impression of medical authority, seem safer. In addition, drugs prescribed for their generation – for anxiety, depression and focus – have been normalized.
