ONE PILL CAN KILL: The Fentanyl Poisoning Crisis
- Overdoses and drug poisonings are now the leading cause of death in Americans ages 18 – 45, per the CDC. Illicit fentanyl is responsible for the majority of those deaths. This is both a national and local crisis.
- Fentanyl IS in Hastings. Illicit fentanyl is laced in pills looking like pharmaceutical drugs such as Xanax, Percocet, Adderall, etc. It’s also cut into heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana.
- Youth & young adults buy pills through social media, such as SnapChat, not knowing they’re buying deadly fentanyl. Naloxone (Narcan) can counteract opioid overdoses if used quickly.
- In 2022, the United Way of Hastings, in collaboration with multiple community and national organizations, began presenting educational events to:
- Raise awareness
- Reduce the stigma of overdoses
- Provide resources
Everyone must play a role to impact the fentanyl poisoning crisis.
Car Crash Deaths vs OD / Symptoms of OD Flyer
(designed by Hastings teens)
