ST. LOUIS – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is joining Facing Fentanyl, to unite families, communities and organizations across the country in recognizing National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, Friday, August 21. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the national observance which honors and remembers the lives lost to fentanyl poisoning.
This year’s theme, “Power of the Parent,” recognizes the critical role parents and families play in shaping conversations, raising awareness and helping protect loved ones. Their voices make a meaningful impact: One Nation. One Fight. Facing Fentanyl. Together.
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This day serves as a nationwide call to action to increase awareness to the highly addictive and dangerous drugs containing fentanyl that continue to drive the opioid epidemic and take lives. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 1,000 lives were lost to synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, across DEA’s St. Louis Field Division, in 2025.
“We shouldn’t assume that our friends and family know the risks and deadly consequences of fentanyl,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer said. “Conversations regarding this lethal drug must continue to move forward so that we can prevent another family from suffering the unimaginable loss of a loved one to an incredibly powerful and threatening drug.”
Fentanyl-related deaths have declined over the past several years, yet fentanyl remains the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45 years old. Last year, DEA intensified its fight against the deadly threat of synthetic opioids with the launch of its Fentanyl Free Americainitiative.
DEA urges the public to remain cognizant of the extreme threat of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
For more information about fentanyl and how you can join the fight, visit Fentanyl Free America, DEA.gov and One Pill Can Kill. DEA resources are all available for public use.
Help spread awareness about the dangers of fentanyl by posting a photo on social media using the hashtag #FentanylAwarenessDay.
