The Connection Between Snapchat and the Blue “Oxy” Pill Overdoses

The scary story about multiple overdoses on a "little blue pill" being sold as OxyContin in the Treasure Valley just got a little more frightening.  At least one teen found the pill through Snapchat. 

Cher Gray is the mother of a 15-year-old son who was found in his home lifeless without a pulse, and revived by paramedics.  She is now getting the word out that her son found this pill on Snapchat, paid $30, and is fortunate to be alive and expecting a full recovery.

Knowing how prevalent communication on Snapchat is for teens and young adults, this is even more frightening that a dangerous pull could be a couple clicks away.

Gray told our news partner, KTVB Newschannel 7, about the experience.  She said that her son crushed half of the pill he had purchased, proceeded to snort it and within a little over an hour was struggling to breathe and quickly was in deep trouble.

Gray is encouraging other parents to talk with our kids about the risks of drugs.  Her son's mistake nearly took his life, and she is hoping better awareness will help other families avoid a similar situation.

So far, authorities are not certain what these pills actually contain.  Gray's son's toxicology report did not show any trace of opioids, so that pill was definitely not OxyContin.  At the moment, it's thought the pill was something synthetic laced with Fentanyl.

If you have kids in your life, you know these conversations can be hard.  We can sometimes convince ourselves that our kids are too young to really be at-risk, or that this couldn't happen to our kids, but the truth is awareness is important and the more mystery we take away, the better the chance our kids are acting with better information, and hopefully, clear understanding of the risks to some of the unknowns.