The blues drug, also referred to as M30 pills, is a counterfeit drug made to look like prescription opioids. It’s commonly produced, bought, and sold on the streets for recreational use. However, taking it is highly dangerous since research by the DEA states that six out of every ten pills contains a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl.
Unfortunately, there’s been rising abuse of this drug in recent years. Over 100,000 people die from drug poisoning and overdose each year. Out of those deaths, 66% are caused by synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which are often contained in M30 pills. Let’s take a deeper look at what this drug is, its dangers, and how to identify if someone is struggling with addiction to it.
What are M30 Pills?
M30 pills, called the blues drug for their distinct blue color, are counterfeit drugs often sold on the streets for recreational use. Many drug dealers will say that these little blue pills with the label M30 pressed into them are prescription opioids like oxycodone or Percocet, tricking people into thinking they’re safe and legally produced.
However, they often contain much stronger opioids like fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine and can easily lead to overdose.
Adding fentanyl to drugs is a common practice in illegally produced substances. Since it has such strong effects, drug dealers only need to add a little bit to their products to produce a strong high when people take them. Since they need to add less to achieve the desired result, it helps them profit more from drug sales.
That said, the DEA states that about 2mg of fentanyl is a potentially lethal dose. 2mg of fentanyl would look like a very small clump of powder that could sit on the tip of a pencil. When drugs are produced illegally and not always measured and mixed correctly, the danger of overdose becomes much more common.
Usage and Effects
Since M30 pills are a counterfeit drug and not legally produced, they’re usually used for recreational use due to the strong and euphoric high they create. Usually, people will take them by swallowing them like a normal prescription pill. However, they might also be crushed to snort them or dissolved for injection since it leads to a stronger and faster high.
What Happens When Someone Takes M30 Pills?
When someone takes the blues drug, it’ll cause a large release of dopamine in the brain (a feel-good hormone) that can make someone feel happier or at ease.
While they have these initial pleasurable effects, opioids are a depressant. Therefore, they’ll eventually slow down the central nervous system, leading to sedative effects that reduce thought processing, coordination, and decision-making abilities. This can often lead to more irrational or risk-taking behavior and makes it dangerous to do things like driving.
The Effects of Addiction to M30 Pills and Prescription Opioids
Since M30 pills are often much stronger than real prescription opioids, it makes it more likely that someone can become addicted to them. They can lead to a physical and psychological dependence that results in strong withdrawal symptoms and can make someone feel like they can’t stop taking them or can’t function normally without the drug.
Many people also start taking M30 pills after becoming addicted to prescription opioids like oxycodone or Percocet. When someone’s misusing or abusing prescription opioids for a long time, they’ll eventually run out of ways to get the drugs legally. Therefore, they’ll often opt to buy them from dealers on the street, which can lead to buying fake pills like the blues drug.
Health Risks and Dangers
As mentioned, one of the biggest risks of taking the blues drug is the potential for overdose since it’s often laced with the strong synthetic opioid fentanyl. That said, even taking normal oxycodone or Percocet in large doses has the potential for overdose as well.
The main reason why opioid overdose occurs is because taking large doses of these drugs will overload your brain’s opiate pathway. The opiate pathway is your body’s primary receptor for pain and can influence the release of hormones or affect other body functions. That’s why opioids are commonly prescribed to relieve pain.
That said, overloading this pathway will slow down other bodily functions too much, primarily breathing. Someone going through an opioid overdose will have their breathing slow significantly or completely stop, go unconscious, and can potentially die if it goes untreated.
The main signs of opioid overdose or from taking M30 pills are:
- Blue or grey lips or nails
- Very small pupils that look like pinpoints
- Cold and clammy skin
- Slow, weak, or no breathing
- Choking, gurgling, or snoring sounds
- Being unresponsive or unconscious
- Extreme drowsiness
- Dizziness and confusion
If someone is experiencing these signs after taking M30 pills or other opioids, you should call 911 immediately to get them medical treatment.
Other Potential Health Risks and Dangers
Some other health risks and dangers from M30 pills and long-term abuse of them are:
- Changes in the endocrine system that decrease libido, cause erectile dysfunction, or lead to infertility
- Decreases in bone density that can increase the likelihood of fractures or chronic pain
- Reduced immune system that can make you more susceptible to illnesses or infections
- Increased risk of cardiovascular diseases like hypotension, heart failure, or cardiac arrest
Strong doses of synthetic opioids like fentanyl or counterfeit drugs like M30 pills can also lead to harmful effects. When you take strong doses of these drugs, it’s more likely to cause symptoms like hallucinations or delusions that lead to irrational behavior.
All these negative effects are why there are many legal implications with counterfeit drugs, and the DEA and FBI are trying to crack down on them for overdose prevention, drug addiction prevention, and community safety.
Legal Implications
M30 pills are counterfeit drugs that are highly illegal to produce, purchase, or possess. If caught, it could result in fines or time in jail or prison, depending on how much of the drug law enforcement finds in your possession.
Possessing about a gram of fentanyl, opioids, or the equivalent in M30 pills with the intention to sell it is a first-degree felony that could result in years in prison.
As mentioned, law enforcement is continuously cracking down on the distribution of M30 pills and other forms of opioid distribution.
In 2022, the DEA tracked a heavy rise in the distribution and abuse of counterfeit M30 pills in the U.S. Therefore, in May of 2022, they launched the One Pill Can Kill campaign to spread awareness and cracked down on 390 cases that helped seize 10.2 million fentanyl-laced pills and 980 pounds of fentanyl powder during the span of May 23rd through September 8th, 2022.
In 2024, those efforts have now resulted in seizing over 33 million fentanyl pills and 4,574 pounds of fentanyl powder. However, these pills and the opioid crisis still remain an issue due to their wide distribution and opioids being among the most prescribed painkillers in the U.S.
Signs of Abuse and Getting Help
More than 2.1 million people in the U.S. and 16 million people worldwide struggle with addiction to opioids and counterfeit pills like the blues drug. Since M30 pills can have such harmful effects, it’s important to watch for common signs and symptoms to get those struggling with addiction the necessary help and support to recover.
Some common signs of opioid or M30 pill addiction are:
- Isolation or secretive behavior
- Loss of interest in activities once enjoyed
- Significant changes in appetite
- Noticeable weight loss or gain
- Sleeping at strange hours
- Missing appointments or neglecting responsibilities as work or school
- Poor hygiene
- Sudden financial or legal struggles
- Small pupils or dark circles under the eyes
- Trying to quit taking drugs and not being able to
- Feeling like you can’t function normally without using drugs
When you or a loved one is experiencing these signs, help is available. Going to a treatment center is often a good first step. Treatment professionals can provide a full diagnosis and information on rehabilitation options.
Rehab from addiction to M30 pills or opioids typically involves detox to get drugs out of the system, combined with attending therapy and building life skills to manage the stresses of life without using drugs or alcohol.
Conclusion
M30 pills also called the blues drug, are counterfeit drugs that are made to look like legally produced opioids like oxycodone or Percocet. That said, they’re often laced with more potent substances like fentanyl that are more likely to cause overdose or intense side effects. These effects and dangers are why addiction treatment is essential.
If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction to M30 pills, prescription opioids, or other substances, our treatment center can help. Our friendly and knowledgeable staff will be there with you every step of the way to create a tailored treatment program based on your needs that leads to high success rates for a happier and healthier life.
Contact us today to learn more about getting started.
References
- “DEA Fake Pills Fact Sheet.” DEA, 2022, dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-12/DEA-OPCK_FactSheet_December_2022.pdf.
- Hayes, Shawn. “The Fatal “Blues.” FBI: Law Enforcement Bulletin, 6 June 2023, fbi.gov/articles/featured-articles/the-fatal-blues.
- United States Drug Enforcement Administration. “Facts about Fentanyl.” dea.gov, 29 Apr. 2021, www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl.
- Schiller, Elizabeth Y, and Oren J Mechanic. “Opioid Overdose.” National Library of Medicine, 21 July 2023, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470415/.
- “DEA Announces Results of Enforcement Surge to Reduce the Fentanyl Supply across the United States.” DEA, 2022, dea.gov/es/node/210966.
- “One Pill Can Kill.” Www.dea.gov, 2023, www.dea.gov/onepill.
- Dydyk, Alexander M., et al. “Opioid Use Disorder.” PubMed, StatPearls Publishing, 17 Jan. 2024, ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553166/.
