A couple in Arizona got a surprise of their life on Friday when they found out the toy they bought from a thrift store for their daughter was filled with fentanyl pills. North Phoenix parents had purchased the Glo Worm toy from a thrift store in El Mirage last week, states Phoenix police. The parents decided to wash the toy before giving it to their daughter as it has been previously owned. It is built to light up, plays music when squeezed and can be opened to remove electronics before washing. While cleaning the toy, when they opened the back, the pair discovered a sandwich bag filled with more than 5000 pills of fentanyl which is a synthetic opioid, states Sgt. Mercedes Fortune, Phoenix police spokesperson.
The alarmed parents called police to report the incident to seize the drugs. The Phoenix police took to social media to alert others to inspect and check used items. Sharing a picture of the toy on Twitter, the officers wrote, “Great job parents! Remember; please inspect all opened and used items for your family’s safety.”
Parents purchased a glow worm at a thrift store in El Mirage for their daughter and found a sandwich bag with over 5,000 pills believed to be fentanyl inside. They called #phoenixpolice and gave the dangerous drugs to officers. Remember to inspect all opened and used items. pic.twitter.com/hRLEuZpXfS— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) February 21, 2021
The incident shocked the locals while others expressed the relief that these parents inspected the toy before handing it to their daughter. One user expressed relief that child wasn’t hurt.
Thank God that crap is Off the streets now And that child wasn't hurt… or Died !— Rob🎙🇺🇸 (KI4NGE) (@KI4NGE) February 21, 2021
Great job to the parents for looking at this glow worm! You never know what's safe anymore..— Denis Firth McCorkle, II (@denis_mccorkle) February 21, 2021
Glad they inspected it prior to giving it to her, scary🙏— Veterans United March (@VetsUnitedMarch) February 21, 2021
Yikes! Good heads up to folks! Wow….— Wendellmom..CDN.Liberal damn proud! Human/Cat mom. (@wendellmom) February 24, 2021
Thank God it happened to the right people. The opioid epidemic is so high right now that those could have ended up going into the wrong hands very quickly.— Psaratt (@Sunshineonetwo) February 23, 2021
According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl is labelled as ‘the most dangerous drug in America.’ The synthetic drug is mostly prescribed by doctors used to treat severe pain like in advanced cancer patients. The drug is believed to be 100 times more potent than morphine. In the last few years, thousands of Americans have been addicted to the drug after being prescribed initially for minor ailments.
The drug has been a major contributor to America’s ‘optoid epidemic’ –along with OxyContin and Vicodin –which is considered as the country’s most serious ongoing health crisis.
It resulted in more than 40,000 American deaths from opioid overdoses in 2016 and more than half of these were caused by fentanyl.