United States Drug Enforcement Administration

OMAHA, Neb. – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will recognize National Fentanyl Awareness Day, Wednesday, April 29, as a show of support for the agency’s valued partners in law enforcement, public health and non-profit agencies. 

Fentanyl-related deaths have decreased in the past several years, yet fentanyl remains the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18-45. Across the five state DEA Omaha Field Division, the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes more than 750 deaths to fentanyl in the 12 months leading up to November 2025, across Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota combined. 

“Too many families have been devastated by a substance so small, it can fit on the tip of a pencil,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “National Fentanyl Awareness Day provides a time for communities to pause, reflect on the lives lost and recommit to educating friends and family on this threat impacting every corner of our country. From rural Midwestern towns to major metropolitan cities, lives have been lost. The DEA remains steadfast in its efforts to bring those pushing these poisons to justice.”

Six months ago, DEA intensified its fight against the deadly threat of synthetic opioids with the launch of its Fentanyl Free America initiative. DEA urges the public to remain cognizant of the extreme threat of fentanyl:

• Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
• Just two milligrams, the equivalent of a few grains of salt, is a potentially lethal dose.
• The Sinaloa Cartel and CJNG, both designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations in 2025, are pressing fentanyl into counterfeit pills that look like prescription medications – such as oxycodone, Xanax, and Percocet – as well as mixing fentanyl powder with cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine.
• Many of the people poisoned by fentanyl had no idea they were even taking it.
• The only safe medications are ones that come from licensed and accredited medical professionals.

For more information about fentanyl, visit dea.gov/fentanylfree, where resources are available for public use. If you are interested in submitting a photo of your loved one to be included in the Faces of Fentanyl memorial exhibit visit www.DEA.gov/facesoffentanyl.

Help spread awareness about the dangers of fentanyl by posting a photo on social media using the hashtags #NationalFentanylAwarenessDay and #JustKnow.

###