Fentanyl Awareness

“Fentanyl is the single deadliest drug threat our nation has ever encountered,” said Administrator Anne Milgram.  “Fentanyl is everywhere.  From large metropolitan areas to rural America, no community is safe from this poison.  We must take every opportunity to spread the word to prevent fentanyl-related overdose death and poisonings from claiming scores of American lives every day.”

Faces of Fentanyl Wall

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 send* their name, age, 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.

The DEA Faces of Fentanyl Wall exhibit is located at DEA Headquarters, at 700 Army Navy Drive, Arlington, VA 22202. Visitors can view the wall Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Please note: DEA Headquarters is a federal building, and visitors must comply with security rules and procedures. Guests over the age of 18 must present a valid government issued photo ID. All bags, purses, etc., will be screened, and guests will be required to step through a metal detector.

Faces of Fentanyl Wall

National Fentanyl Awareness Day (May 10, 2022)

National Fentanyl Awareness Day aims to amplify nationwide efforts to increase awareness and decrease demand for fentanyl, which is a highly addictive synthetic opioid that continues to drive the overdose epidemic.  

"Fentanyl is highly addictive, found in all 50 states, and drug traffickers are increasingly mixing it with other types of drugs - in powder form - in an effort to drive addiction and attract repeat buyers." DEA Administrator Anne Milgram

DEA Recognizes First Ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day

WASHINGTON – In an effort to save lives, DEA is proud to join “Song for Charlie” and many of our valued public health, non-profit, and law enforcement partners in recognizing the first ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day. This day is an effort to educate individuals around the dangerous threat that fentanyl poses to the safety, health, and national security of the American people.

Read Press Release

According to the CDC, 107,375 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisonings in the 12-month period ending in January 2022.  A staggering 67 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.  Some of these deaths were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, with many users unaware they were actually taking fentanyl. Only two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially lethal dose; it’s particularly dangerous for someone who does not have a tolerance to opioids.

"Drug traffickers are driving addiction, and increasing their profits, by mixing fentanyl with other illicit drugs. Tragically, many overdose victims have no idea they are ingesting deadly fentanyl until it's too late." DEA Administrator Anne Milgram

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

Graphic for Advocacy Group, Facing Fentanyl

DEA will observe August 21, 2022 as National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. 

According to the group, Facing Fentanyl, this day was established in remembrance of loved ones that died from fentanyl poisoning and acknowledge the devastation this drug has brought to thousands of affected family members and friends.  This is a day of coordinated response for fentanyl awareness organizations and affected family members to come together, sharing their lived experiences as a whole group to warn our youth and the public about the dangers of fentanyl.

Learn more about the danger of illicit fentanyl at https://facingfentanylnow.org or www.dea.gov/onepill.

Resources

Visit the National Fentanyl Awareness Day website for more information. You can find additional social media, draft emails to share with partners, key messages, and more using the official toolkit.

SAMHSA's National Helpline

https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov

1-800-662-HELP (4357)
TTY: 1-800-487-4889
Website: 
www.samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline
https://www.findtreatment.gov

Also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service, this Helpline provides 24-hour free and confidential treatment referral and information about mental health and substance use disorders, prevention, and recovery, in English and Spanish.

Drug-Free Workplace

1-800-WORKPLACE (967-5752)
Website: www.samhsa.gov/workplace/resources/drug-free-helpline

Assists employers and union representatives with policy development, drug testing, employee assistance, employee education, supervisor training, and program implementation.

Naloxone

Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose. It is an opioid antagonist. This means that it attaches to opioid receptors and reverses and blocks the effects of other opioids. Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose.

Buprenorphine Practitioner & Treatment Program Locator

Find information on locating practitioners and treatment programs authorized to treat addiction and dependence on opioids, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers, at SAMSHA.gov.

Opioid Treatment Program Directory

Find treatment programs in your state that treat addiction and dependence on opioids, such as heroin or prescription pain relievers at Opioid Treatment Program Directory.

Learn More

Find out more about these treatment topics:

  • Find a Health Center: Some health centers provide mental health and substance use disorder services. Contact the health center directly to confirm availability of specific services and to make an appointment.

 

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DEA. 29 April, 2022. Fentanyl Awareness. Retrieved from https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness on 24 March, 2023