April 29 marks the fourth annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day, a nationwide effort to protect young lives from the deadly threat of fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills. This day brings together schools, families, nonprofits, corporations, and government agencies to spotlight the hidden dangers of illicit fentanyl use.

Despite encouraging signs—a decline in fentanyl-related overdose deaths in New Jersey from 2,543 in 2022 to 2,010 in 2023—the crisis remains dire. Even one death is one too many. Tragically, nearly half of teens still don’t know that fake prescription pills often contain lethal amounts of fentanyl. Just 0.002 grams is enough to kill.

The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey (PDFNJ), in collaboration with NJ CARES, is tackling this issue head-on through its 2025 Learning Series. These efforts span education on opioid alternatives, prevention programs, treatment and recovery resources, and critical discussions on the rising fentanyl threat.

Fentanyl is often found laced in street drugs, making even casual experimentation a potential death sentence. That’s why raising awareness is not enough—we must act. Our National Fentanyl Awareness Day Toolkit offers public service campaign materials to help organizations spread lifesaving messages across communities.

By educating ourselves and others, we can fight back against this epidemic and protect our future—one conversation, one resource, one life at a time.