What Drug is Blues?

Get Facts on Counterfeit Percocet M30 Pills and Treatment Options

With the nation currently in the grips of a monstrous epidemic, much of the public spotlight is cast on the dangers of street-level fentanyl. As every town in America attempts to navigate the treacherous path of dealing with opioid addiction, it’s easy to forget how we arrived at this particular point in the ongoing epidemic.

Enter our timely resource to answer the question: what drug is blues, and how did counterfeit pills become the most common method for cartels to deliver their deadly product into our cities and towns?

In this guide from South Shores, we take an inside look at the “blues drug,” a name you may not have heard yet – but we can guarantee you’ve almost certainly encountered it in some way. Keep reading to learn more about the blue pills causing so much heartache, and get treatment options at our accredited programs if you or a loved one have become dependent on ‘blues’ or other opioids.

The Blues Drug: The New Old Enemy

In the early 2000s, a surge in prescription pills was underway – most notably the powerful 80 mg Oxycontin. Opioid addiction ran rampant in small towns across America as the working man found himself face-to-face with easily available and highly addictive drugs.

The outcry from the public triggered lawmakers to crack down on “pill mills,” the illicit doctor’s offices that set up shop in a matter of days, and closed sometimes just as fast – solely for the purpose of over-writing prescription painkillers. And just like that, the explosion of opioid prescription pills was all but over.

When the Pills Mills Closed Their Doors: Windows Opened for Cartels

Unaware of the potential for collateral damage, what the government left behind as the smoke settled was a growing problem potentially worse than the initial pill epidemic – a nation of men and women of all ages and backgrounds – addicted and sick from withdrawal, looking for a replacement for their painkiller fix. Left with only one choice, a large majority of them transitioned to heroin.

Finding heroin to be much cheaper, and in most cases, significantly more potent, illegal drug traders and their cartel suppliers, forced to keep up with the demand, introduced our country to fentanyl. It was almost like a trap, leading millions of Americans into the harsh reality of overdose deaths and subjects to the worst opioid crisis the globe has ever seen.

There was one prescription pill, however, that kept its foothold in the illicit drug market – a drug that filled the vacuum caused when the government yanked Oxycontin from pharmacy shelves. 30 MG oxycodone pills, otherwise known as Roxys – better known on the streets as “Blues,” have created an even more dangerous scenario for recreational drug users and those suffering from long-term opioid addiction.

The Beginning of the Blues Drug

The Blues Drug, otherwise known as M30s, or M-Boxes, are fake 30 mg oxycodone pills. Their name – given to signify their trademark blueish hue, has an “M” inside of a box stamped on one side and a “30” on the other.

With the growing popularity of the so-called ‘Blues Drug,’ one would think that the trend of doctors writing too many prescriptions has come back to plague the nation. However, this isn’t the case. The truth is – the current situation is far more sinister.

Eventually, these pills became so popular that they were trafficked on the black market. Dealers go to great lengths to secure them, often paying large groups of people to obtain prescriptions, and even opening up front doctors’ offices or paying physicians to open clinics, just to get their hands on large volumes of these pills.

However, the DEA, or Drug Enforcement Administration, quickly catches wind of operations like this and they are shut down after a short period. So, what are traffickers’ responses to the DEA? The result is terrifying and is attributed to a large portion of the death toll caused by fentanyl overdoses.

Infusing a Potent Synthetic Opioid

As a result of DEA crackdowns, the blues drug was infused with a synthetic opioid known as fentanyl. This wasn’t done under the hand of the FDA – instead, this happens under the watchful eye of drug cartel bosses, most often on the other side of the Mexican border.

Those stuck in the grips of drug addiction or opioid addiction, seeking their fix for blues drugs or “Perc 30s,” now have serious health complications to deal with as a result of chasing their DOC. Currently, the vast majority of blues drugs aren’t made up of oxycodone at all. Instead, counterfeit blue pills have taken over the market, comprised of almost entirely fentanyl.

Instead of $10 or even $20 or more for a legitimate prescription, the flood of such pills across the United States finds them being sold for less than $5 at the retail or street level, and as low as 50 cents or less on the wholesale market.

Counterfeit Pills Become Drug Traffickers’ Most Valuable Product

The danger of these fake pills, or counterfeit blues drugs, is one of the most risky situations staring those who suffer from drug abuse in the face. Now, those who use the blues drug are in grave danger of suffering from an opioid overdose while taking what they assume to be the same strength of oxycodone their bodies are used to.

However, it’s not the same prescription medication contained in the pill – it’s not prescription oxycodone at all. Unfortunately, it only takes a minimal amount of fentanyl to trigger an opioid overdose for those who aren’t familiar with the drug.

The Dangers of the Blues Drug: A Higher Overdose Risk

Let’s take a look at some of the most dangerous elements of this form of opioid abuse, and obtaining these oxycodone fakes on the illicit drug market.

• The odds of obtaining a dose high enough to be lethal are simply too easy. In fact, individuals report that in the past they were able to consume a whole 30 MG pill. However, the fentanyl-laced alternatives only take about a quarter of the same pill to kill you.
• When you engage in consuming lab-made opioids – or synthetic opioids, you’re putting yourself at risk for severe respiratory depression. Even if you don’t overdose, this can still cause serious long-term health implications.
• Long term health implications of fentanyl abuse and withdrawal lead to dependency issues and severe withdrawal symptoms when you attempt to stop taking the drug. In addition, organ ailments, respiratory illness, and other debilitating disorders happen as a result of fentanyl addiction.

How Addictive Are Blue Fentanyl Pills?

In their standard form, M30 Oxycodone pills contain oxycodone, a natural opioid that already has a high potential for addiction. These pills can cause a swift dependence, even when they’re written under the care of a physician. This is why it usually requires medical supervision when someone taking them legally has the desire to detox from them.

Even if you’re struggling with legal dependence on oxycodone 30 MG, it’s vital that you obtain the help of a professional facility such as our inpatient services and programs at South Shores. Dealing with an addiction issue when it comes to counterfeit pills is an even more alarming situation. At this point, you’re dealing with the synthetic opioid fentanyl and no longer a natural opiate painkiller.

The Peak of Blue Pills and the Opioid Epidemic

With the opioid epidemic hitting levels of an epic proportion, the gamble with these illicit counterfeit pills continues to plague our nation. The unfortunate part of fentanyl-laced pills is the fact that users are getting way more than they bargained for.

It’s one thing when someone understands the dangers of the beast they’re dealing with. Pulling the wool over someone’s eyes for the sake of profit is a different story entirely. According to data pulled by the CDC, in 2021 over 100,000 Americans died from a lethal opioid overdose. This is over a 30% uptick from the year prior. In fact, the total has grown in number every year since 2008.

If the total continues to climb, in a few short years, opioids will be the number one killer of American citizens over heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Unfortunately, with the discovery of more fake pills made up of alternative analog drugs, the opioid crisis shows no signs of slowing down.

Currently, more designer drugs are being produced and infused into prescription medications – or what’s labeled as prescription medications, and making their way over our borders. Drug traffickers will stop at nothing to produce more of these blue pills – even if it means lacing them with even deadlier substances than fentanyl.

Get Proven Programs to Quit Opioids at South Shores

If you or someone you know is struggling with counterfeit pills, time is of the essence. As the situation continues to escalate and more analog drugs are created and placed into pill presses, the odds of you obtaining a lethal dose grow exponentially. Don’t become a statistic.

The staff at South Shores Detox and Recovery have decades of experience helping individuals just like you or your loved one. There’s no need to feel isolated – recovery is possible, and it’s just over the horizon.

With our help and the support of your family and friends, you can get started on the path to recovery today. Contact a member of our admissions team and we’ll help you get options for support today!