Tuesday, May 9, is National Fentanyl Awareness Day. 

 

Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, and suicide. Spread the word to save a life.

National Fentanyl Awareness Day is presenting a series of virtual webinars with issue-area experts on an array of topics related to the illicit fentanyl crisis on Tuesday, May 9. The series includes * "What Parents Need to Know About Fentanyl Poisonings and Overdoses" by Dr. Hina Talib, Dr. Scott Hadland, and Dr. Danielle Ramo 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Eastern Time; "Fentanyl in Party Drugs: Harm Reduction Strategies" by Emanuel Sferios, Madeline Hilliard, and Ava Pallotta at 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET;  "The Illicit Fentanyl Crisis: Different Paths to Common Ground" by Rocky Herron, Nate Moellering, and Denise Mariano at 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. ET.; "How Fentanyl Really Shows Up in Our Communities: Who, Why, When, Where and Now" by Morgan Godvin and John Harris at 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. ET.; "Predictable Patterns of Drug Overdose Deaths: Does Fentanyl Follow the Rules?" by Dr. Don Burke, Dr. Hawre Jalal, and Marcia Lee Taylor at 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET.

For more information, see https://www.fentanylawarenessday.org/speaker-series.

?A demonstrative discussion for young adults to share tips for preventing, recognizing and responding to an overdose. Hear from two harm reduction experts and a community organizer about Narcan, test strips, and how Good Samaritan laws work to best prepare yourself and your friends when partying. 

A conversation between two pediatricians and a psychologist about substance use, mental health, and the impact of illicit fentanyl on teens. Learn the fundamentals about fentanyl, how to talk to young people in your life about it, and steps you can take to support their mental health and wellbeing.

Many Americans are being directly and indirectly impacted by fentanyl. Reports of overdoses and poisonings are seemingly everywhere. Its prevalence leads to questions: Is fentanyl a safe medicine or a deadly poison? What are the risks? How do I keep my loved ones safe?

 Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is safely used in medical settings for pain relief every day. However, because it is cheap, potent, and relatively easy to make, a black market version of fentanyl has percolated into the street drug market. This illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF)** is now the primary contributor to the recent, unprecedented spike in drug related deaths.

People can encounter fentanyl in many different settings, and the risk of overdose or poisoning in each setting is variable.