Young Californians Are Still Dying in Fentanyl Crisis Fueled by Social Media

Family and friends of people who died after being poisoned by pills containing fentanyl carry signs as they protest near the Snap, Inc. headquarters, makers of the Snapchat social media application, in Santa Monica, Calif., on June 4, 2021. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

When Amy Neville, of Aliso Viejo, California, lost her 14-year-old son Alex to an illicit pill that contained a fatal amount of fentanyl in 2020, the dealer was just one town over—continuing to sell—using the popular smartphone app Snapchat.

“We think Alex bought from him over the weekend before taking the pill,” Ms. Neville, who has since moved from the state, told The Epoch Times. “The last time I saw him was Monday night. When I awoke him in the morning for his orthodontist appointment ... he was gone.”