National Fentanyl Awareness Day 2024

May 6, 2024

The third annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day takes place this year on May 7, 2024. Fentanyl Awareness Day is observed to help inform communities like ours about the dangers of illegally made fentanyl.

In the Fairfax Health District, emergency department (ED) visits for opioid overdoses rose 33% from 2022 to 2023. Opioid overdose ED visits increased 115% among youth under age 18. Across all ages, almost all (95%) fatal opioid overdoses in 2023 involved fentanyl.

Illegal fentanyl is dangerous, but you can take steps to prevent overdoses. See the infographic below to get the facts on fentanyl and learn how to help prevent fentanyl overdoses in our community.

Facts about fentanyl in the Fairfax Health District

Fentanyl Facts

In the Fairfax Health District in 2023:

[Hospital icon on an arrow pointing upward with text "33%"] Non-fatal opioid overdose emergency room visits increased from 304 in 2022 to 405.
[114 stick figures shaded dark blue, 6 sitck figures shaded teal] 95%. 108 of 114 fatal opioid overdoses involved fentanyl.*

Youth Under 18

[Hospital icon on an arrow pointing upward with text "115%"] Non-fatal opioid overdose emergency room visits increased from 27 in 2022 to 58.
[12 stick figures shaded dark blue] There were 12 fatal opioid overdoses, all involving fentanyl, from 2020 - 2023.*

Illegal fentanyl is Dangerous.

Fentanyl is a strong, lab-made pain reliever.
There are two types of fentanyl: medical grade and illegally made fentanyl.
[Circle with a medical cross icon in it] Medical fentanyl is prescribed by a doctor and can be given safely by health professionals.
[Triangle with a skull and cross bone icon in it] Illegally made fentanyl is dangerous because it is uncontrolled. The amount of fentanyl in each pill is different and could be fatal.
Illegal fentanyl is used to make counterfeit (fake) prescription pills and added to some drugs.
It’s not possible to tell if a pill contains fentanyl by sight, smell, or taste.
People who overdose often don’t know they are taking fentanyl.

You can prevent overdoses.

[Checkmark icon] Only take pills you get from your pharmacist.
[Icon representing various drugs in a circle with a line through it] Assume any prescription pill you see online is fake, including Oxy, Percocet, Adderall, and Xanax.
[Two hands holding a heart icon] Share with your loved ones the reasons you stay opioid free.
[Lock icon] Safely store medication in your home. fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/prevention/lock-and-talk
[Computer screen with a trash can icon] Dispose of unused or expired medications. fairfaxcounty.gov/health/drug-disposal
[Naloxone icon] Take a training and receive free Naloxone (Narcan), a nasal spray that reverses fentanyl overdoses and saves lives. fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/heroin-opioids/revive

Call or text 9-1-1 if a situation is immediately life-threatening.

[Icon of a mouse cursor]

Learn more and find support resources: fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/opioids
See more Fairfax Health District data: fairfaxcounty.gov/health/opioid-overdoses-data
fairfaxcounty.gov/health
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Sources

cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl
fentanylawarenessday.org
Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics(ESSENCE)
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia Department of Health
*Preliminary data from OCME, subject to change.

[Fairfax County Health Department logo] Fairfax County Health Department

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