Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as 50 times stronger than heroin, 100 times stronger than morphine. Through illegal manufacture, it has found its way into a host of other widely-used narcotics, leading to an increase in overdose deaths.
Late last year, a study by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) showed an 800% increase in fentanyl-related overdose deaths compared the year before the COVID pandemic.
“State statistics have shown an increase of 101% from 2019 to 2021, with fentanyl being the primary culprit,” said Michael Leach, a Certified Clinical Medical Assistant who oversees outreach for Substance Use Prevention Education, or SUPE, an organization that offers resources on drug addiction. “It has been found in cocaine, heroin, and counterfeit pills. Nationally it has impacted every community in some way.”
When the DPH Drug Surveillance Unit (DSU) reviewed ER visits for suspected drug overdoses in 2022, Richmond and Columbia counties were among the areas that showed an increase.
“Urban areas see more devastation because of population density,” Leach noted. “Yet, rural areas struggle with limited access to treatment and help. Overall, it impacts both equally.“
May 9 is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, launched last year, by a coalition that shares its namesake, to raise awareness about the drug and the opioid epidemic.
Serenity Behavioral Health Center will be hosting an event recognizing the second annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day, sharing information about treatment and local resource. There will be free HIV testing, demonstrations on how to use Narcan (or Naloxone, an emergency medicine for opioid overdoses), along with featured speakers.
One way that SUPE is commemorating the day is with its “Parents’ Guide to Fentanyl.” The compact leaflet has tips for parents and caregivers—such as speaking honestly with kids about risky behaviors, correcting wrong beliefs with factual information, and staying educated on current drug trends.
“The parents’ guide was developed to help parents speak to their kids about drugs,” said Leach. “Through working with different communities, we realized that practical information about fentanyl was needed as another tool to combat the problem, and the parent’s guide became that tool.”
Serenity Behavior Health Center, located at 3421 Mike Padgett Highway, will host its Fentanyl Awareness event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Tuesday, May 9.
For the SUPE Parents’ Guide to Fentanyl, and more information about substance abuse, visit https://www.addicted.org/supe/fentanyl/parents-guide-to-fentanyl/.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
