August 21 marks the 5th annual National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, established by Facing Fentanyl and families who lost loved ones to overdose involving illegally made fentanyl. The observance calls attention to the risks of fentanyl as the leading driver of overdose deaths in the United States.
Young people face particular risk. From 2020 to 2024, 75% of overdose deaths among 10- to 19-year-olds involved illegally made fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many teens do not know that counterfeit pills can contain fentanyl, the CDC said.
Fentanyl is an extremely potent synthetic opioid—up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Illegally made fentanyl can be mixed into other drugs or pressed into counterfeit pills that look like prescription medications.
The CDC recommends that parents and caregivers begin prevention conversations early, with age-appropriate messages such as only taking medicine from a trusted adult and never taking a pill that was not prescribed. For teens, conversations should include the risks of counterfeit pills, mental health, peer pressure, and how to get help without shame.
Prevention strategies include raising awareness, expanding naloxone access, and teaching people how to recognize and respond to an overdose. The CDC offers programs including Free Mind, a national campaign to prevent youth substance use, and Stop Overdose, which provides resources about fentanyl risks and naloxone access.