Catholic Charities of Fairfield County is a partner of National Fentanyl Awareness Day. This annual event was founded by parents who lost loved ones to the fentanyl crisis and is supported by a coalition of organizations and individuals dedicated to raising awareness about the dangers of illicitly manufactured fentanyl.
Illicit fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that is often used to create fake prescription pills and is also found in common street drugs like cocaine, MDMA, and heroin. Sadly, people are dying at alarming rates due to fentanyl-involved overdose deaths. It’s important to understand the key facts about this crisis, so here are six facts to know:
- Illicit fentanyl is involved in more American youth deaths than heroin, meth, cocaine, benzos, and prescription drugs combined.
- Fake pills containing fentanyl have been found in all 50 states, so it’s important to assume any prescription pill you see online is fake, including Oxy, Percocet, Adderall, and Xanax.
- Fentanyl-involved deaths are highest and fastest growing among youth because fake pills are the main reason for this.
- Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide, and other accidents.
- Often consumed unknowingly by users, illicit fentanyl is driving the recent increase in U.S. overdose deaths.
- It’s crucial to know the risks of fentanyl, key safety tips, and learn more about this crisis at fentanylawarenessday.org.
To help spread awareness and save lives, individuals and organizations can take action in the following ways:
- Talk to your loved ones about the issue and educate them on how to protect themselves.
- Learn the signs of an overdose and be prepared to call 911.
- Locate Naloxone (Narcan) near you and learn how to administer it.
- Share content from National Fentanyl Awareness Day’s Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or LinkedIn accounts today, using the hashtag #NationalFentanylAwarenessDay.
We urge everyone to take action and help spread the word about the dangers of illicit fentanyl.