Community members are asked to stay vigilant and take steps to help curb fatal and nonfatal drug overdoses. A significant area of concern here in Fairfax County and around the country is a growing number of opioid overdoses involving youth.
Fentanyl Remains Top Cause of Overdoses
Fentanyl is the primary opioid responsible for fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the Fairfax Health District. Since 2016, the percentage of opioid overdose fatalities involving fentanyl has increased each year to 98% in 2022. More information on local overdose trends is available in the Fairfax Opioid Overdose Dashboard.
Fentanyl is an opioid that is a common substitute or cutting agent in illicit narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, MDMA (also known as ecstasy or molly), as well as counterfeit pills. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 2mg of fentanyl – the amount on the tip of the pencil in the photo at left- is a potentially deadly dose. Nationally, the DEA reports that 7 out of 10 pills seized by DEA contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. In 2023, the U.S. DEA has seized over 74.5 million fentanyl pills, which exceeds the 2022 total of 58 million pills, plus over 11,400 pounds of fentanyl powder. Locally, the Fairfax County Police Department seized nearly 44,000 fentanyl pills in 2023 (compared to about 15,500 in 2022), plus over 8,800 grams of fentanyl powder (compared to 3,700 grams in 2022). FCPD reports that illicit pills containing fentanyl and other substances are selling locally for less than $10/pill, compared to $30/pill in recent years.
Counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl can look the same as authentic pills, making it almost impossible to know whether a pill has a deadly dose of fentanyl or not.
Rainbow fentanyl – or fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes – is also an emerging national concern, according to the U.S. DEA.
Our Police Department has found that numerous youth overdoses have involved burnt tin foil which is often used to facilitate the inhalation of the pills (other Northern Virginia jurisdictions are also observing this).
Signs of Opioid Overdose
- Face is pale or clammy
- Breathing is infrequent or has stopped
- Deep snoring or gurgling (death rattle)
- Unresponsive to any stimuli
- Slow or no heart rate and/or pulse
- Bluish purple, or ashen skin color
- Fingernails turn blue or blue-black
Fairfax County's Opioid Response
Fairfax County works to address the opioid epidemic through the County’s Opioid and Substance Use Task Force, which was created in 2017. The Fairfax County FY 23- FY 25 Opioid Response Plan includes about 40 opioid-related programs/activities focused on reducing opioid-related overdoses and deaths in the Fairfax community. More information on the County’s opioid response is available online here.
Over the last couple years, as the number of youth overdoses in Fairfax have increased in line with regional and national trends, there has been a significant focus in Fairfax County on enhancing youth prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery programs/activities.
These efforts include: expanding naloxone availability for Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) staff; providing community presentations and messages; updating an opioid communications toolkit with messages in English and Spanish tailored to youth; partnering with Northern Virginia Family Services to assist families in connecting and engaging in substance use treatment; and enhancing the local youth substance use treatment continuum. In particular, efforts are underway to expand youth treatment capacity for youth medication for opioid use disorder and bring youth detoxification (withdrawal management)/residential treatment services to Northern Virginia, among other initiatives.
What Can I Do?
This is a communitywide problem and requires a comprehensive approach to prevent future overdoses and connect individuals experiencing opioid and substance misuse to treatment and support services. Take action today.
- Talk with your youth and other loved ones who are impacted by substance misuse about the dangers associated with drug use. Have a short, judgment-free talk about stress, mental health, peer pressure, and substance use.
- Start talking about medication safety early by advising young children not to take any pills without asking you first.
- Only take pills prescribed by your doctor from a licensed pharmacy. Never buy pills from social media, online, on the street, or from unlicensed pharmacies.
- Review more action steps you can take and tips for parents/caregivers from the U.S. DEA.
- Learn more about fentanyl in the Fairfax Health District by watching this short video from the Fairfax Health Department and viewing materials from community events on local trends and prevention strategies:
- What Your 11th & 12th Graders Are Learning in Schools About Drugs & How You can Talk with Them (fall 2023 – FCPS Family Resource Center)
- English
- Español
- Opioid Townhall (April 2023) on youth opioid use and Fairfax County’s response plan
- Preparing Families for Difficult Conversations about Alcohol & Drugs (2023 - Parent Resource Center)
- English / Español
- What Parents Need to Know About Drugs and Their Students with Disabilities (2023 - Fairfax County Special Education PTA)
- Webinar on Youth Substance Use Trends (Spring 2022 FCPS and Fairfax County Government)
- What Your 11th & 12th Graders Are Learning in Schools About Drugs & How You can Talk with Them (fall 2023 – FCPS Family Resource Center)
- Sign up for a virtual training class on how to recognize the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose and administer naloxone nasal spray to reverse an opioid overdose. After completing the training, individuals 18 and older will receive Narcan, fentanyl test strips and treatment information.
- Safely store and dispose of unwanted medications to prevent opioid misuse from ever starting.
- Help raise awareness by sharing resources from the Fairfax opioid communications toolkit and this fact sheet on fentanyl in the Fairfax Health District.
- Encourage youth to participate in SAMHSA’s Fentanyl Awareness Youth Challenge and develop a community strategy to educate their peers about fentanyl and fake pills. Submissions are due February 26, 2024.
County Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing substance use issues, there are numerous county resources available:
- If the situation is immediately life-threatening, call 911. Fairfax County Fire and Rescue personnel carry medication that can prevent deaths from opioid overdose.
- Call the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board (CSB) Entry & Referral line at 703-383-8500, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to access behavioral health services, including substance use treatment services for youth and adults.
- If it's after business hours, call CSB Emergency Services at 703-573-5679 or the Fairfax Detoxification Center at 703-502-7000; both are available 24/7.
- CSB Peer Outreach Response Team (PORT) provides outreach, engagement and resource navigation to individuals who have serious opioid and other substance use challenges. If you or someone you know could benefit from PORT services, call 703-559-3199.
- Fairfax County Public School (FCPS) Substance Abuse Prevention Specialists (SAPS) are based in each high school and provide youth substance use prevention, education and intervention to all pyramid schools using a tiered approach. How to Access:
- Parents/Guardians can call their child’s school front office staff or ask their counselor to connect to their school’s assigned SAPS.
- Contact the FCPS Office of Student Safety and Wellness:
- www.fcps.edu/resources/student-safety-and-wellness
- 571-423-4270
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