May 7th: National Fentanyl Awareness Day

From CDC:

May 7th is National Fentanyl Awareness Day. This observance was founded by parents who have lost loved ones to the drug overdose crisis. The aim of the observance is to raise awareness that people are dying at alarming rates due to illegally made fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid. National Fentanyl Awareness Day is supported by a coalition of issue-area experts, corporations, nonprofits, schools, families, and elected officials who are coming together today to spread the word.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Illegally made fentanyl is a growing threat in the United States and is a major contributor to drug overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. Illegally made fentanyl can be mixed with drugs like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine and made into pills that resemble other prescription opioids. Fentanyl mixed with other drugs including these pressed pills is extremely dangerous, and many people may be unaware that their drugs include fentanyl. This increases the risk of overdose or death, and these is seen with IMFs have been involved in over 40% of deaths with evidence of counterfeit pill use. Combating the infiltration of IMFs into the illicit drug market is crucial for preventing overdose deaths.

In response to the troubling issue, the Division of Overdose Prevention in the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control has developed a fentanyl campaign which includes sharable resources to help educate and protect the public from fentanyl-involved overdoses. The campaign resources include factsheets, videos, social media ads, and much more to explain the dangers of illegally made fentanyl and share ways to protect yourself, like using fentanyl test strips and carrying the lifesaving medication naloxone.

On May 7th, take action and help us spread the word about of the dangers of fentanyl and how to prevent nonfatal and fatal overdoses.

For more information and additional resources, head to cdc.gov.