United States -- July 18, 2022: Between January 2021 and January 2022, the CDC estimates that more than 107,000 Americans will have died from drug overdoses.

That's almost 294 deaths every day. Contribute to the DEA's efforts to honor the victims of fentanyl poisoning by sharing a photo of a deceased family member.

Sixty-seven percent of these deaths were attributable to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl. Some of these deaths were attributable to fentanyl mixed with other illegal substances such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, with many users unaware that they were truly ingesting fentanyl. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially deadly dose; it is especially harmful for those without an opiate tolerance.

DO NOT ASSUME THAT FENTAYL CANNOT AFFECT YOUR FAMILY. FENTANYL IS KILLING THE UNSUSPECTING EVERYDAY

Over 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in a single year for the first time in our country's history in 2020-2021. In the coming year, Fentanyl-related deaths are anticipated to increase by a factor of two. Fentanyl poisoning has surpassed suicide, gun violence, and automobile accidents as the leading cause of death among adults aged 18 to 45 in the United States. Every nine minutes, someone dies from a Fentanyl-related cause. The monitoring of poisonings and fatalities has been insufficient, and we feel the existing data understate the severity of this situation. The illicit use of fentanyl devastates all socioeconomic classes. If you believe that illicit fentanyl cannot affect your family, you should reconsider.

ILLEGAL FENTAYL
Fentanyl is 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. Pharmaceutical fentanyl and illegal fentanyl are the two forms of fentanyl. This website is about ILLICIT FENTANYL. Drug cartels manufacture and distribute illicit fentanyl as a standalone product, as an additive falsely mixed with other hazardous street narcotics such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, or as a substitute for these substances. Because of its high potency, illicit fentanyl is purposefully and falsely added to other narcotics to make them cheaper, more potent, more addictive, and more lethal. Today, fentanyl is present in all illicit drugs. In addition, fentanyl has been detected in counterfeit prescription medications. These counterfeit pills are manufactured to resemble actual prescription medications, such as Oxycontin®, Percocet®, Vicodin®, Adderall®, Xanax®, and others, and have been discovered in every state. Criminal drug networks are leveraging the accessibility of social media and e-commerce in order to distribute lethal substances into American communities and attract teenagers. Cartels and distributors continue to refine the distribution, addiction, and deception of this poison.

Facts About Counterfeit Pills
 Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public.
Counterfeit pills are easy to purchase, widely available, often contain fentanyl or methamphetamine, and can be deadly.
Fake prescription pills are easily accessible and often sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.
 Many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin®, Percocet®), hydrocodone (Vicodin®), and alprazolam (Xanax®); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall®).

National Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day (August 21, 2022)

The DEA will commemorate National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on August 21, 2022.
According to the organization Facing Fentanyl, this day was created in commemoration of our loved ones who passed away as a result of fentanyl poisoning and to recognize the misery this drug has caused for thousands of afflicted family members and friends. This is a day of coordinated response for fentanyl awareness organizations and impacted family members to join together and share their personal experiences to warn our kids and the general public about the risks of fentanyl.


Faces of Fentanyl
DEA has created a special exhibit, The Faces of Fentanyl, to commemorate the lives lost from fentanyl poisoning.

If you would like to submit a photo of a loved one lost to fentanyl, please submit* their name and photograph to fentanylawareness@dea.gov, or post a photo and their name to social media using the hashtag #JustKNOW.

*BY SUBMITTING PHOTOGRAPHS AND SHARING YOUR STORY, YOU AUTHORIZE THE DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION (DEA), THE RIGHT TO USE THESE MATERIALS WITHOUT LIMITATION.

For more information 

DEA One Pill Can Kill

Facing Fentanly


Wnctimes by Marjorie Farrington

source: cdc and dea


Community News

Pinned Items
Recent Activities
There are no activities here yet