National Fentanyl Awareness Day: What You Need to Know to Save Lives
By Victoria Nagel, LCADC, CCS, LPC, ACS, NCC, BC-TMH
What You Need to Know About Fentanyl
Today marks the fourth annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day, a campaign started by a group of parents who tragically lost their children to drug overdoses. Their efforts have helped bring national attention to the devastating impact of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
While fentanyl is safely used in medical settings to manage severe pain, the fentanyl found recreationally is often illegally manufactured and extremely dangerous.
Recent data from the CDC offers a glimmer of hope: there was an estimated 26.5% decline in overdose deaths in the United States in 2024 compared to the previous year. While this is encouraging progress, opioid-involved overdoses remain the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18–45.
Sadly, while some individuals knowingly use fentanyl, many others are unknowingly exposed to it through substances that have been laced with the drug. Below, you’ll find important information and resources about fentanyl, whether you are a parent or caregiver, someone who is currently using or supporting a loved one who is, or someone seeking counseling and support.
For Parents and Caregivers:
The traditional “drug talk” is no longer enough. With fentanyl contamination and counterfeit prescription pills widespread, it’s critical to adapt how we educate young people. In New Jersey alone, 95% of suspected heroin samples submitted to the NJ State Police Office of Drug Monitoring and Analysis in 2023 contained fentanyl.
To help, the National Fentanyl Awareness Day campaign created "The New Drug Talk," a 27-minute video designed to guide parents in having open, informed conversations with their children about today's risks. You can watch it here: The New Drug Talk Video
For Those Currently Using or Have a Loved One Who Is:
If you or someone you love is actively using opioids, it’s vital to have Naloxone (Narcan) on hand. Naloxone is a life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses by restoring normal breathing. It is safe, non-addictive, and has no effect if opioids are not present in the body. Recognizing the signs of an overdose and knowing how to administer Narcan can truly save a life. You can watch a brief 5-minute training video here: Protect Your Friends Video
Additionally, fentanyl test strips are another important tool for harm reduction. These small, inexpensive strips can detect the presence of fentanyl in pills, powders, and injectable drugs before use. Testing substances with fentanyl strips can empower individuals to make safer choices and potentially prevent a fatal overdose. Fentanyl test strips are legal in many states and can often be obtained at local health departments, harm reduction organizations, or online. The New Jersey Harm Reduction Coalition will mail test strips for free to anyone in New Jersey. To access fentanyl testing strips and other safe use supplies please visit: https://njharmreduction.org/get-fentanyl-test-strips/
For Those Seeking Counseling and Support:
At Resilience to Thrive, supporting individuals and families impacted by substance use is not just our profession, it’s our passion, fueled by personal experience. Many members of our team have walked their own journeys alongside loved ones’ battling addiction, giving us a deep, firsthand understanding of the challenges and emotions involved.
Our experienced therapists offer over a decade of expertise in helping people navigate challenges related to substance use and related disorders. We also provide compassionate care for the loved ones who stand beside them, because healing is strongest when no one walks the journey alone.
If you or someone you love needs support, we are here to help.
References
Bardunias, J. (2024, May 17). New Jersey Drug Environment Overview [Conference presentation]. NJPN Annual Conference 2024, Atlantic City, NJ, United States.
National Fentanyl Awareness Day. (2025). Take the NFAD Challenge. https://fentanylawarenessday.org/page/nfad-challenge
National Harm Reduction Coalition. (2020). Understanding Naloxone. https://harmreduction.org/issues/overdose-prevention/overview/overdose-basics/understanding-naloxone/
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). (2025). Secretary Kennedy renews public health emergency declaration to address national opioid crisis. HHS.gov. https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/secretary-kennedy-opiod-crisis-emergency-declaration.html
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025). National Fentanyl Awareness Day Toolkit. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/php/toolkits/fentanyl-awareness-day.html
