In Depth: Fentanyl, Snapchat, and Social Media Dangers

LOS ANGELES - In segment one, Sam Chapman, Perla Mendoza and Matt Capelouto join Hal to talk about the parents’ suit against Snapchat over the deaths of their children from fentanyl poisoning. 

All three have lost a child to fentanyl when they took a counterfeit drug laced with the deadly substance.

They are involved in the suit against Snapchat because they say the platform enables AI to push dangerous content, and the "disappearing" feature allows the evidence to be concealed.

In segment two, former DEA LA Head Bill Bodner joins Hal to discuss the fight against fentanyl and how there are two spots near the border where the death toll is the highest.

Bodner says that progress is being made, but that there needs to be a major push to increase enforcement in those areas.

In segment three, Hal speaks with Dr. Michele Nealon of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology.  She talks about how the recent change by Meta, hiding sensitive posts from the Facebook and Instagram feeds of teens is a step in the right direction.

Nealon explains that teens are vulnerable and not able to safely make judgments about their safety because their brains aren’t yet fully developed.  She says that social media activates the pleasure center of the brain and can actually cause addiction.

She says the solution is for parents to step up and lay down the law on their kids.