Officials Urge Families to Raise Awareness About Fentanyl

Federal drug enforcement officials in Los Angeles were urging parents and families Friday to help educate young people about the dangers of fentanyl as the nation marks the fifth National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.

This year’s observance carries the theme “Power of the Parent,” highlighting the role parents and families can play in raising awareness and protecting loved ones from fentanyl, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.

“We commend parents who have taken up the torch, leading the fight against fentanyl,” David Olesky, special agent in charge of the DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division, said in a statement. “Through their work and outreach in the community, at schools, and through various pathways, they have catalyzed change.”

Olesky said parents who have lost loved ones to fentanyl have “valiantly harnessed their grief into purpose.”

Fentanyl-related deaths have declined over the past several years, but the synthetic opioid remains the leading cause of death among Americans ages 18 to 45, according to the DEA.

Fentanyl is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, and as little as 2 milligrams can be a potentially lethal dose, federal officials said.

The DEA warned that fentanyl can be found in counterfeit pills made to resemble prescription medications such as oxycodone, Xanax and Percocet. Fentanyl powder is also mixed with cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, sometimes without the knowledge of people taking the drugs, officials said.

“Every day that I walk into DEA Headquarters, I am reminded of the enormous toll of the fentanyl crisis,” DEA Administrator Terrance Cole said. “Thousands of faces make up DEA’s Faces of Fentanyl memorial exhibit, and each month we receive hundreds of new photos.”

The Faces of Fentanyl memorial exhibit at DEA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, includes more than 7,000 photographs of people who have died in the synthetic opioid crisis.

The DEA launched its Fentanyl Free America initiative last year as part of its efforts to combat synthetic opioids.

Federal officials urged people to obtain medications only from licensed and accredited medical professionals and to remain aware that counterfeit pills can contain potentially lethal amounts of fentanyl.