Death used to stalk silently, a faded figure whose washed-out features rendered him all but invisible to men until their final hour. Recently, however, the Pale Horseman of Death exchanged his gray countenance for a vibrant visage of teal, purple, pink and yellow — a shrewd upgrade luring hundreds of young people to their doom. Death now comes in the form of rainbow fentanyl, a pastel plague currently ravaging cities in California, Alabama and New York. 

According to Drug Enforcement Administration administrator Anne Milgram, drug traffickers use the deceiving appearance of rainbow fentanyl to “drive addiction amongst kids and young adults.” University students should be on their guard against this cheerful-looking drug that promises pleasure but delivers death. 

DANGER OF ADDICTION

Fentanyl is a deadly opioid that is dangerously addictive due to its powerful potency — users experience a variety of effects ranging from drowsiness and confusion to breathing problems and loss of consciousness. As believers, Biolans ought to consider both the spiritual and physical damage fentanyl wreaks on its users: not only does it endanger their health, it lures them down the dangerous and deadly path of addiction.

In his book “Addiction and Virtue: Beyond The Models Of Disease And Choice,” philosophy professor Kent Dunnington zeroes in on the perils of substance abuse and addiction. 

“Addiction is — like all sin — a form of idolatry because it elevates some proximate good to the status of ultimate good, a status that belongs to God alone,” Dunnington said. “But addiction is uniquely alluring, uniquely captivating and uniquely powerful because its object comes so close to making good on its false promise to be God.”

RESOURCES

Dealers use fentanyl to allure customers of all ages — including students as young as 15 — resulting in a coordinated response from schools across Los Angeles County. Los Angeles Unified School District leaders stocked 1,400 elementary, middle and high schools in late September with Naloxone (Narcan), a medication used to reverse overdoses from a variety of opioids, after nine students accidentally overdosed on fentanyl in the first weeks of the school year. 

Rainbow fentanyl’s tempting exterior conceals the destructive and potentially deadly power that festers beneath the neon coating. Users can break free of the drug, however, by reaching out for help to overcome their dependency. Biola has a variety of resources available for students struggling with addiction. Contact the Biola Counseling Center, Health Center or Student Development staff for help in overcoming substance abuse.