May 9th, 2022 by WCBC Radio

West Virginia’s Office of Drug Control Policy (ODCP) within the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) will join partners nationwide in celebrating the first National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 10, 2022. The day is designed to raise public awareness about illicit fentanyl mixed with street drugs and in counterfeit pills, which is a relatively new practice.
 
“Nationally, fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under age 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, and all other accidents,” said Dr. Matthew Christiansen, Director of the Office of Drug Control Policy. “In West Virginia alone, fentanyl was involved in more than seventy-five percent of all overdose fatalities in 2021.”
 
Fentanyl Awareness Day coincides with the DHHR’s Office of Drug Control Policy and Bureau for Behavioral Health’s focus on overdose awareness and prevention. In an attempt to promote awareness of the rising fentanyl crisis, DHHR has committed to partner in the promotion of National Fentanyl Awareness Day through social media using #NationalFentanylAwarenessDay and #JustSayKNOW. These hashtags will correspond with posts targeted toward the public, youth audiences, parent and educator audiences, and individuals who use drugs.