The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) observed this past August 21st as National Fentanyl Prevention & Awareness Day. This day was established in remembrance of loved ones that died from fentanyl poisoning and to acknowledge the devastation this drug has brought to thousands of affected family members and friends.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. A few grains of sand worth can be lethal. It is cheap, potent and profitable, so dealers use it to make fake pills. It can also be found in party drugs and as “rainbow fentanyl” which looks similar to candy. There is a significant risk that illegal drugs have been intentionally contaminated with fentanyl. 42% of pills tested for fentanyl contained at least 2mg of it, considered a potentially lethal dose.
Drug trafficking organizations typically distribute fentanyl by the kilogram. One kilogram of it has the potential to kill 500,000 people and it is currently the primary driver of overdose deaths in the United States.
For more information, please visit www.dea.gov/resources/facts-about-fentanyl today and please share the information with your kids