COLORADO SPRINGS — Police in Colorado say the drug and fentanyl epidemic is moving to the social media world and many parents don’t know their kids are part of it. Sandstone Care, a local addiction treatment and mental health organization, continues to see an alarming amount of teens using drugs in our community.

Local law enforcement is sounding the alarm as illicit pills laced with fentanyl flood into Colorado, “I am one of the warriors out here fighting this battle,” Alganon Askew at Sandstone care says.

Experts at Sandstone Care in Colorado Springs are tracking more teens battling their mental health turning to drugs, “The individuals we deal with here, they are having cravings and so cravings come by triggers,” Askew explains.

Sandstone Care says one of the top triggers for young adults to take drugs is to fit in with their peers, but during the pandemic, fitting in was challenging and some teens turned toward drugs, “Now we are seeing more adolescents needing more substance abuse treatment and more mental health support because they are learning to rebuild those connections outside through a screen or through zoom class,” Natana Reason, a program director as Sandstone Car says.

Reason adds drugs are now more accessible than ever to your average middle and high-school aged kid.

Law officials say the transaction starts with advertising on apps like Instagram or Facebook, where dealers will post suggestive emojis looking for customers, “It is very dangerous for teens,” Askew says.

After a connection is made, the seller and buyer will transition to more secretive apps where messages delete after sending, like SnapChat or Tik Tok. After that, payment is sent, drugs are shipped and within minutes the deal is done.

Just one pill of fentanyl can kill, but drug addiction is a daily battle, “It does take courage and it does take strength to recognize there is an issue and reach out for help,” Reason says.