National Fentanyl Prevention & Awareness Day
August 21, 2023
National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day
August 21st, 2023
Project Facing Fentanyl is the home of August 21st National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. We observe this day to remember lives lost and come together united for positive change. Saving lives is important every day of the year. Drug deaths occur every 5 minutes in the US, and the number of lives lost is expected to grow. Our families are busy every day working every aspect of the fentanyl crisis. The flood of fentanyl into our country and the public health crisis it poses is unprecedented. Sadly, with the deaths, the list of issues continues to grow. Supply, addiction, stigma, lack of education, accountability, recovery options, and mental health are pieces to the problem. We are urgent for solutions and to work with people and organizations that can effect positive change. We welcome new partners to collaborate with and are always interested in ways to grow our voice.
#facingfentanyl
Voices for Awareness Foundation
Alexander Neville Foundation Opioid & Fentanyl Education
For More Information visit: https://facingfentanylnow.org/
Michael Fiore Outreach Coordinator Voices For Awareness Facing Fentanyl
Michael Fiore is the CEO of Inspire to Inspire. Michael is a native New Yorker living in recovery in California. His journey has led him to public speaking about recovery and fentanyl prevention. Mike is the Outreach Coordinator for Voices for Awareness and Project Facing Fentanyl. His collaboration with the recovery and prevention community has allowed him to speak with youth and groups of all ages across the country to bring awareness to the harms of illicit drugs. Mike is on a mission to spread awareness and a positive message where ever he goes.
Fentanyl Prevention And Awareness Day Resolution Unanimously Passes Senate
07.31.2023
Fentanyl Prevention And Awareness Day Resolution Unanimously Passes Senate
WASHINGTON – The Senate unanimously passed a resolution designating August 21, 2023 as Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) co-led the legislation.
“Fentanyl overdoses are taking a tragic toll on families. I’m working to tackle the illegal production and distribution of this deadly drug from multiple directions: through legislation to close loopholes and by putting pressure on the administration to enforce the laws, hold adversaries like China accountable and secure the southern border. Driving awareness about the fentanyl flooding our communities adds momentum to our efforts to end this devastating epidemic,” Grassley said.
“Too many families know the pain of losing a loved one to a fentanyl overdose,” Feinstein said. “Those deaths are often the result of people unknowingly using fentanyl that has been made to look like a prescription drug. With fentanyl-related deaths rising each year, our resolution will hopefully save lives by raising awareness of the dangers of this drug.”
In April, Grassley hosted a roundtable in Cedar Rapids to discuss the ties between organized retail crime and the illicit drug trade. Last October in Des Moines, Grassley convened a hearing of the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and heard courageous testimony from Iowa families who lost loved ones to fentanyl poisoning. Grassley also reintroduced the bipartisan Stop Pills that Kill Act this Congress. The bill would apply the penalties for possessing paraphernalia used to manufacture meth to those for possessing paraphernalia used to make counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and fentanyl analogues.
The resolution’s passage follows reports the Biden State Department discussed lifting sanctions on the Chinese Communist Party to incentivize its cooperation on stopping the flow of Chinese-manufactured fentanyl precursors into the United States. Grassley slammed the administration’s proposal, saying the policy is “a further cultivation of a failed strategy of appeasement with our adversaries” and “makes a mockery of the drug epidemic facing our nation.” In May, Grassley sent a letter to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in Washington calling for an end to illicit fentanyl production in the PRC.
Background:
Overdose deaths have skyrocketed in recent years, largely due to the influx of fentanyl – a synthetic opioid – being mixed into illicit drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) last year seized more than 58.4 million fentanyl-laced fake pills. The agency estimates over 40 percent of illicit pills contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Further, in an analysis of prescription pills laced with fentanyl, the DEA determined six out of every 10 contain potentially lethal doses.
In the 12-month period ending in January 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported drug overdoses killed more than 107,000 individuals nationwide. Over two-thirds of those deaths involved synthetic opioids, primarily fentanyl.
Administrator Anne Milgram - Fentanyl and Prevention PSA
August 17, 2023
Contact: Media Relations
Phone Number: (571) 776-2508
For Immediate Release
DEA Recognizes National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day with Extended Hours for the Faces of Fentanyl Exhibit
WASHINGTON – The Drug Enforcement Administration recognizes National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day by joining the dedicated voices who continue to raise awareness in an effort to prevent the fentanyl poisonings devastating families across the country. On Monday, August 21 the DEA Museum will open with extended hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. for public viewing of the Faces of Fentanyl exhibit, which commemorates lives lost by fentanyl.
DEA is proud to support the efforts of all the organizations working tirelessly to amplify and increase awareness of the highly addictive and dangerous drugs containing fentanyl - including the Alexander Neville Foundation, Blue Plaid Society, Facing Fentanyl, Voices for Awareness, and V.O.I.D., among others.
“Spreading awareness about the dangers and deadly realities of fentanyl is critically important in this fight to save lives,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Fentanyl remains the most dangerous drug threat facing our country. The dedicated men and women of the DEA know their job is far from over. DEA will continue to increase outreach and education efforts with our valued community partners. All Americans play a critical role in spreading awareness about the dangers and deadly realities of fentanyl."
In 2022, DEA seized more than 58.3 million pills containing fentanyl and more than 13,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. This equates to nearly 387.9 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl that never reached our communities. We continue to seize fentanyl at record rates and recently added a regularly updated counter to DEA.gov so the public can track DEA’s fentanyl pills and powder seizures.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. It is inexpensive, widely available, highly addictive, and comes in a variety of colors, shapes and forms – including powder and pills. Drug traffickers are increasingly mixing fentanyl with other illicit drugs to drive addiction and create repeat business. Many victims of fentanyl poisoning were unaware they ingested fentanyl.
According to the CDC, an estimated 110,511 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and poisonings in 2022, with almost 70 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Only two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose.
Information and free resources, including the One Pill Can Kill partner toolkit, are available at DEA.gov/onepill.
For more information about DEA’s Faces of Fentanyl exhibit visit including the address, security rules and procedures, and regular hours of operation please visit www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness.
If you are interested in submitting a photograph of a loved one lost to fentanyl, please email their name, age, and photo to fentanylawareness@dea.gov, or post a photo and their name to social media using the hashtag #NationalFentanylAwarenessDay.
Fentanyl 'most urgent threat,' DEA says at NYC event
Grieving family members who've lost loved ones to fentanyl attended the National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day event in New York City.
CDC Observes National Fentanyl Prevention & Awareness Day™
On August 21, CDC observes National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day™, established by the not-for-profit organization, Facing Fentanyl™. This day invites families and loved ones impacted by fentanyl-related overdoses to come together to share their lived experiences and, alongside prevention organizations, raise awareness about the dangers of illegally made fentanyl.
Join us by using your voice to share the facts on fentanyl—together, we can take action and save lives.
Kloxxodo Supports National Fentanyl Prevention & Awareness Day
National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, Aug. 21, was established in remembrance of loved ones who lost their lives to illicit fentanyl poisoning and to acknowledge the devastation this drug has brought to thousands of affected family members and friends.1 Illicitly manufactured fentanyl continues to infiltrate communities and is affecting many.1,2 Continue reading to learn more about why this day is so important.
About Illicitly Manufactured Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin.1 It is being purposely and deceptively added to other illicit substances.1 When added, these substances are cheaper, more powerful, more addictive and more dangerous.1 Deceptive substances laced with illicit fentanyl are killing people across America at an alarming rate and for the first time in our nation’s history more than 100,000 Americans died of drug overdose in 2020.1 Fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-45 in the United States, surpassing suicides, gun violence, and car accidents.1
Recognizing Illicit Fentanyl Poisoning
Fentanyl-related deaths occur approximately every nine minutes.2 Illicit fentanyl poisoning is a type of opioid overdose that can happen within seconds.2 Symptoms to look out for are:2,3
Immediate blue or grey lips
Body stiffening/seizure like activity
Foaming at the mouth
Confusion before becoming unresponsive
Will not wake up and does not respond to your voice or touch
Breathing is very slow, irregular, or has stopped
Center part of their eye is very small, also known as “pinpoint pupils”
Carry Naloxone
Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids, including illicit fentanyl.4 It can quickly reverse an overdose by blocking the effects of opioids.4 Make sure to carry a naloxone medication, like Kloxxado® (naloxone HCl) nasal spray 8 mg, given the alarming increase in overdose deaths occurring due to the rise in illicitly manufactured fentanyl availability.1,2 More than one dose of naloxone may be required when stronger opioids like fentanyl are involved.4 Be safe and be ready… carry naloxone.
Join The Conversation
There are many opportunities to spread the word to prevent illicit fentanyl-related overdose deaths and poisonings.5 Sharing a story on social media and speaking to others about fentanyl awareness are small ways to get a conversation started. The Drug Enforcement Administration has recently created a special exhibit, The Faces of Fentanyl, to commemorate the lives lost from fentanyl poisoning.5 The agency is encouraging people to submit a photo of a loved one lost to fentanyl poisoning to this exhibit and share their stories using #justKNOW.5 Many valued public health, nonprofit, and law enforcement partners are recognizing National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.5 Take this day and the conversations that come with it to educate individuals around the dangers that illicit fentanyl poses to the safety and health of American people.5
Learn more at facingfentanylnow.org
References
By Editor|August 1, 2022|Opioid Safety, Opioids & Mental Health
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NYC marks Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day
New York City marked Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day with an event in Times Square on Monday, hosted by non-profit 'Facing Fentanyl,' who unveiled a new billboard to spread awareness about the deadly drug.
https://www.fox5ny.com/news/activists-gather-in-times-square-for-fentanyl-prevention-and-awareness-day
Fentanyl awareness billboard unveiled in Times Square
According to the CDC, more than 100,000 people died from drug overdoses in the U.S. in 2022, a record high.
Times Square billboard shows faces of fentanyl's tragic toll
A group of activists and grieving family members who've lost loved ones to fentanyl are putting their pain on full display at one of the most iconic landmarks in the country. CBS New York's Tim McNicholas reports.