Stay Informed
- Opioid Overdose Awareness: Recognize Signs and Learn How to Help
- National Fentanyl Awareness Day 2026
- New Adolescent Residential Treatment Center Opens to Meet Growing Behavioral Health Needs in Northern Virginia
- 30th Annual National Drug Take Back Day Results
- Spread Awareness with Messaging from Our Updated Communications Toolkit
FENTANYL
- Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.
- Fentanyl is extremely fatal, even in the smallest doses.
- Most fatal overdoses in Fairfax County in recent years have involved fentanyl, which is a common substitute or cutting agent in illicit narcotics such as cocaine, heroin, MDMA (also known as ecstasy or molly), and counterfeit pills.
- Two mg of fentanyl – the amount on the tip of the pencil – is a potentially deadly dose, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- The DEA has seized over 16 million fentanyl pills and 6,271 pounds of fentanyl powder as of July 2026, representing over 151 million deadly doses.
- 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 a national concern, according to the U.S. DEA.
- Fentanyl and Fake Pills – Helping Families and Children Get Smart and Be Safe
- National Fentanyl Awareness Day 2026
Polysubstance Use
Polysubstance use is the use of more than one drug taken together or within a short time period, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Intentional polysubstance use occurs when a person takes a drug to increase or decrease the effects of a different drug or wants to experience the effects of the combination. Unintentional polysubstance use occurs when a person takes drugs that have been mixed or cut with other substances, like fentanyl, without their knowledge.
Whether intentional or not, mixing drugs is never safe. The effects from combining drugs may be stronger and more unpredictable than one drug alone, and even deadly. Find more information on polysubstance use in the link below.
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
What We're Doing
In Fairfax County, more people die from overdoses than car accidents. Data shows that treatment strategies are needed as the opioid epidemic evolves within our community.
Fairfax County's Opioid and Substance Use Task Force is a collaborative, cross-systems approach to combat the impact of the opioid epidemic.
We have a plan to combat the opioid epidemic here in Fairfax County, but we need your help as well. Note: prior opioid plans for FY 23-25 and FY 21-22 are also available for review.
Fairfax County's Opioid and Substance Use Task Force's primary goals are to: 
- Reduce deaths from opioids.
- Prevent opioid misuse.
- Improve the quality of life of individuals impacted by opioid use disorder.
- Use data to describe the problem, target and improve interventions and evaluate effectiveness.