National fentanyl prevention and awareness day recognized by DEA
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) --The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration is recognizes National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on Wednesday, August 21st. Due to this, they will have extended DEA Museum hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
They will have an exhibit called "The Faces of Fentanyl" and it is one of the museum’s featured exhibits that commemorates the lives lost to fentanyl. More than 5,000 faces are included in the exhibit at DEA Headquarters as a reminder of the lives lost.
“The shift to synthetic drugs has resulted in the most dangerous and deadly drug crisis in United States’ history. The Faces of Fentanyl exhibit at DEA Headquarters stands as a solemn reminder of the toll this drug has taken on families all across this country, and it compels us to continue our fight against the cartels fueling this crisis,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We hope you will join us on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day by remembering and honoring the lives lost.”
DEA states they seized more than 80 million fentanyl pills and 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder in 2023. They explain that equates to more than 381 million potentially deadly doses of fentanyl that DEA was able to keep out of our communities.
The DEA says Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. They also say drug traffickers are increasingly mixing fentanyl other illicit drugs to drive addiction and create repeat business.
For more information about DEA’s Faces of Fentanyl exhibit including the address, security rules and procedures, and normal hours of operation please visit www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness.
