DEA's inaugural National Family Summit on the Overdose Epidemic was held in June 2022. That first summit invited more than 90 parent or family-led non-profit organizations that DEA field offices had connections to across the country. This first-ever event provided opportunities for DEA to share information on the scope of current drug threats, exchange ideas with these parent groups on how DEA can support them in their work, learn of their local efforts, ask them for their help with sharing the One Pill Can Kill fake pill awareness campaign in their communities, identify areas for further collaboration, and build or reinforce existing relationships and partnerships.

DEA then hosted inaugural Regional Family Summits in November 2022, a second National Family Summit on Fentanyl in September 2023, and a second round of Regional Family Summits on Fentanyl in September and October 2023. Most recently DEA hosted Regional Family Summits in the summer of 2024 and a National Family Summit is taking place in November 2024.Thousands of families have attended these events over the past three years and helped support thousands more with drug awareness, and connections to prevention, treatment, and recovery resources.

2024 Regional Family Summits

For a third year in a row, DEA field divisions across the country hosted Regional Family Summits in their community in order to bring together families who have lost loved ones to drug poisonings or overdoses, federal partners, and community prevention groups. These families are working to prevent others from experiencing the tragic loss of a loved one that they have experienced. These local summits provide opportunities to share information, build connections, and foster collaboration between family groups, DEA, and other key sectors of their local community.