Snapchat takes measures against drug trading in the app–an in-app educational portal will also be released Japan Top News

Snap, the company behind Snapchat, announced Wednesday that it will take steps to stop the sale of illegal drugs. Overdose deaths from fentanyl-containing drugs are on the rise in the United States. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is said to be 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and can be deadly even in small doses.

Snap said in a blog post: "We've heard heartbreaking stories of families affected by this crisis, including cases of people getting counterfeit fentanyl pills from drug dealers on Snapchat."

Snap is also developing a new in-app educational portal called Heads Up. Heads Up delivers content from professional agencies and organizations such as Song for Charlie, Shatterproof, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) and resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It says it will show "relevant educational content to avoid harming our community" when drug-related keywords are searched on Snapchat.

In October, NBC News reported on the death of a young man in his teens to early 20s who allegedly bought fentanyl-laced drugs through Snapchat. As a result, this issue has received more attention.

This article is an article from overseas Red Ventures edited by Asahi Interactive for Japan.