Counterfeit fentanyl pills are becoming a lot more common in law enforcement seizures

This image provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department shows suspected fentanyl pills seized at Los Angeles International Airport in 2022. (AP)

A new study shows a dramatic spike in the number of counterfeit fentanyl pills being seized by law enforcement, an indication of the growing illicit drug supply driving the country's historic opioid crisis.

Last year, more than 115 million pills containing illicit fentanyl were seized by law enforcement, compared to over 71 million in 2022, according to the study published Monday in the International Journal of Drug Policy. The study found that the number of pills seized last year was 2,300 times greater than the roughly 50,000 seized in 2017.