In a new ad, McGruff the Crime Dog® sniffs out big crime happening on social media and exposes the dangers of buying medication online.

It is estimated that 90% of fake pills found on social media contain fentanyl. Often hidden behind filters, ads, and other smoke screens, these transactions may seem harmless, but they’re often deadly.

“In just three years, fentanyl has become a leading cause of death for young Americans,” said Paul DelPonte, Executive Director at the National Crime Prevention Council. “McGruff is talking directly to young people in this Ad, his trust and this new campaign will save lives.”

The new public service announcement highlights the unsafe conditions fake pills are made in and how just one pill could include a deadly amount of fentanyl that could instantly cost a young person their life. The ad ends with McGruff encouraging viewers to Think Again.

“The existence and availability of counterfeit goods not only threatens to erode consumer confidence in legitimate brands, they put the health and safety of the American public in jeopardy,” said Kathi Vidal, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The lives of young Americans are at the forefront of this PSA, produced by NCPC and the USPTO as part of the Go For Real™ campaign. The award-winning Go For Real campaign educates teens and tweens on the dangers of fake products and its ads have earned over 2 billion impressions. The new ads, featured in both English and Spanish, will roll out in television markets across the nation. The PSAs are also on YouTube and will be shown via social media @McGruffatNCPC.

About the National Crime Prevention CouncilThe nonprofit National Crime Prevention Council is home to McGruff the Crime Dog® and has helped generations of Americans Take A Bite Out Of Crime® through public education campaigns and advocating for public policies to make the U.S. safer. Follow NCPC on Threads, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X (@McGruffatNCPC).

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• United States Patent and Trademark Office

Tatiana Peralta
National Crime Prevention Council
202-919-5544
tperalta@ncpc.org