When will this Day be celebrated? August 21st of each calendar year.
What is National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day? Fentanyl is a leading killer in the United States. National Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day is a day to bring education and awareness to the public about the dangers of fentanyl. This is a day of a coordinated response to warn and inform our youth and the unsuspecting about deadly fentanyl. On this day affected families share their lived experiences, in an effort to alert other families about illicit fentanyl. Affected families come together on August 21st, to acknowledge all the lost lives from fentanyl in their families and others. Advocates and educators acknowledge this day to spread awareness and education about the ever-changing drug landscape of synthetic opioids and fentanyl, informing people how to protect themselves and the ones they love.
Why is this day being created? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 100x more potent than morphine and 50x more potent than heroin. Leading experts report Fentanyl overdoses surpassed suicide, COVID-19, and car accidents as the leading cause of death for the demographic. This is a national emergency. America’s young adults and thousands of unsuspecting people are being poisoned. Fentanyl deaths in America across all age groups doubled from 32,754 fatalities to 64,178 fatalities in just two years between April 2019 and April 2021. Illicit fentanyl is sold as a counterfeit pill, made to look like a prescription medication. Fentanyl deaths occur every 9 minutes or less in the United States. Fentanyl has changed the drug landscape and is a serious danger to the American public. The prevalence of fentanyl is killing and harming sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers. Fentanyl is causing devastation to hundreds of thousands of families. It is important to bring awareness to the dangers of fentanyl to save lives.
How should this day be observed? National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness day should be an action day for advocates to educate and bring awareness to the public about the dangers of fentanyl.
Who created this day? This day was created by VOICES FOR AWARENESS FOUNDATION in 2022.