I recently read about the death of a 12-year old boy who died from a drug overdose after cleaning equipment at his uncle’s fentanyl lab. This senseless and tragic death brings home how truly dangerous fentanyl is.

According to the CDC, ingesting just 0.002 grams of fentanyl results in certain death. In 2021, 3,124 people in New Jersey died from a drug overdose with the majority involving some form of an opioid, such as fentanyl. Overdose deaths linked to fentanyl were the leading cause of drug-related deaths in New Jersey for 2018 and 2019. The state has not yet released the data on 2020 and 2021, but the results are expected to be similar.

The surge in fentanyl-related deaths is due to illicit drugs being lasted laced with fentanyl, which makes experimentation a life or death situation. The widely covered story of the Five West Point cadets who overdosed on fentanyl-laced cocaine purchased on a spring break trip, is another example of how experimentation can lead not only to substance use disorder, but with fentanyl it can lead to death.

It is vital that we raise awareness of the dangers of prescription opioids and their links to heroin and fentanyl. The Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey’s Opioid Toolkit contains public service campaigns for organizations to use to help shine a light on the opioid epidemic that continues to plague our state and the nation. Together we can spread these messages and hopefully save lives.

Be well.