Families of drug overdose victims who died after buying the drugs on social media called the tech companies on Monday to level up their actions in addressing the problem.
The group, Victims of Illicit Drugs (VOID), staged a protest in front of Snapchat's headquarters in Santa Monica. Sam Chapman, a group member, told AFP that his son died in February last year after he purchased the pill laced with the powerful opioid fentanyl.
Warning on dangers of social media
Chapman,57, said that he, together with the group, is in the protest to warn people about the dangers of social media as it delivers drugs and other criminal acts into the lives of the families through their children.
He shared that his son Sammy would have turned 18 last weekend. Last year, he found his son dead on his bedroom floor in the "fentanyl death pose." An hour before his son's death, he said the teenager was in his room on Sunday night, watching the finals of the American football championship.
The father said his son stopped breathing, fell backward in his chair, and choked on his vinegar, according to News Rebeat. He added these scenarios are common for those who overdosed on fentanyl.
The drug dealer contacted his son through Snapchat, sending him a colorful menu of the drugs with pictures. The dealer delivered the drugs to their home after he and his wife slept, like getting pizza delivery.
According to the groups holding the protest on Monday, 107,000 drug overdose deaths were recorded in the U.S. last year, 70 percent of which were caused by "fentanyl poisoning." Fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45.
Chapman and the other family victims are now calling on Snapchat and other social media platforms to take more decisive action against drug sales.
VOID also demands that the U.S. law be amended for social networks to be held liable for what happens to users while using their platforms.
Read Also: Family of Opioid Crisis Victim Confronts Sackler Family, Owner of Oxycontin Maker, Purdue Pharma
Difficulty in policing drugs on social media platforms
A Snapchat spokesperson said they have been working tirelessly to combat the national crisis by eradicating illegal drug dealers from their platform. The representative said they now use advanced technology to detect and shut down drug dealers who abuse their platforms. They also block search results for dangerous drug-related content, France 24 reports.
However, Chapman said the tools in place do not work because dealers use emojis and code words that are not blocked.
Lacing or replacing drugs with fentanyl
According to Kavita Babu in UMass Chan Medical School, illicitly manufactured fentanyl is synthesized in China, Mexico, and India and is exported to the U.S. in powder or pressed pills. He added that the dark web, an encrypted and anonymous world of the internet, has hastened the sale of fentanyl and other opioids by shipping it through traditional delivery services like the U.S. postal service.
