The Drug Enforcement Administration has a strong warning ahead of the Halloween season. 

A drug called rainbow fentanyl is circulating and it looks a lot like candy, almost like smarties but it's not sweet, in fact it could be lethal.

According to the DEA, it's been found in eighteen states so far.

Jason Kisielewski, the Community Affairs Manager for Gaudenzia explained, "Rainbow fentanyl is actually becoming more and more concerning each day because in appearance alone it looks more and more like candy and what's being referred to as sidewalk chalk and it's becoming really prevalent all through out the nation."

According to a local pharmacist, fentanyl should only be used in low doses for extreme situations, not found in a candy-like form.

Ciarra Bodnar, the Pharmacist Manager at Darling's Pharmacy said, "Fentanyl is normally used a pain medication or pain reliever for very severe pain, so it's used in very small doses, so once it's in that tablet you are at risk for any negative effects of it".

Local experts believe that the bright colors are used to target younger generations, which is concerning. "Just because how similar it is to candy, the bright colors being used, those are things the drug dealers even the cartels to youth and adolescents because they know in appearance alone it really attracts their attention" said Kisielewski.

Kisielewski advised it's important to have a conversation with children no matter how old they are before they go to any parties, "To have those conversation with your young ones, your children, your adolescents, alert them that there is a new product being distributed and just how careful and safe guarded they should be to avoid, handling it, touching it and even consuming it".

What should you do if you encounter someone who may have taken fentanyl? Bodnar gave the signs of an overdose,. "Lowering breathing , breathing very slowly, heart beat is very slow, they could be unconscious if they are at point, really small pupils, anything like that, cold skin, they could all be signs of overdose".

What should you do if you come across something that you think might be rainbow fentanyl, experts said to not touch it, alert the authorities and keep others away from it as well, because even one dose could be lethal and if it's not lethal, it's very addictive.