May 7, 2024, is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, which aims to raise awareness of the ongoing overdose crisis along with the dangers of fentanyl and its devastating impact on communities across the country. Addressing the ongoing overdose crisis, including raising awareness of the prevalence and danger of fentanyl, remains a priority for Governors.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. The introduction of fentanyl into the illicit street supply is commonly referred to as the “third wave” of the United States overdose crisis, and most overdose deaths today are attributed to illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Fentanyl has largely supplanted heroin in the street supply due to being inexpensive to produce.
Fentanyl can be found in other street drugs, including cocaine. An ongoing threat includes an increase in the prevalence of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) has released a public safety alert due to data that shows 7 out of every 10 pills seized by the DEA contains a lethal dose of fentanyl. Given this, those ingesting a substance that looks like a prescription pill but that was not prescribed by a medical professional could be counterfeit and contain fentanyl. Counterfeit pills look like prescription drugs…
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