ARKANSAS, USA — The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will recognize National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on August 21, 2022.
The DEA aims to increase awareness of the highly addictive and dangerous drugs that contain fentanyl and continue to be the driving force behind the opioid epidemic.
“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” said Administrator Anne Milgram.
According to Milgram, no community is completely safe from the presence of fentanyl, whether it be in a large city or a rural town.
“DEA is proud to work with families who have been affected by fentanyl poisonings to spread the word and to save lives,” she added.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid with approximately 50 times more potency than heroin and 100 times more potency than morphine.
There has been an increase in drug traffickers mixing fentanyl with other illicit drugs, either in pill or powder form, to drive addiction and create returning customers.
“Fentanyl is the primary driver in this alarming increase in overdose deaths America is facing today,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad L. Byerley.
Fentanyl is notoriously inexpensive, widely available, and highly addictive— as well as potentially lethal.
Many victims of fentanyl poisoning are unaware that the drug was present in the substance they ingested. Only two milligrams of fentanyl can be a potentially lethal dose.
“Collectively, we will continue to combine our resources to aggressively pursue the drug cartels who are ruthlessly flooding our country with this deadly drug,” Byerley added.
According to the CDC, an estimated 107,622 people died in the U.S. of drug overdoses and poisonings in 2021, with 67% of the deaths involving synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.
DEA has also created a special exhibit at its museum, 'The Faces of Fentanyl', in honor of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.
The exhibit will commemorate the lives of those lost from fentanyl poisoning, and people are welcome to submit their own photos of loved ones lost to fentanyl.
You can submit your name and photo on the DEA website or post a photo with your name on social media with the hashtag #NationalFentanylAwarenessDay.
For more information on the dangers of fentanyl and overdose prevention, please visit the Drug Enforcement Administration's website.