National Fentanyl Awareness Day is on Tuesday, May 9th.
A flag ceremony and news conference will be held to raise awareness about issue in the Wichita community. It will be held at 11:30 a.m. at the Old Sedgwick County Courthouse (Central and Main) on May 9th.
According to the Wichita Metro Crime Commission, fentanyl is now involved in more American youth deaths than heroin, meth, cocaine, benzos and prescription drugs combined. Fake pills are the main reason fentanyl-involved deaths are fastest growing among youths.
The Wichita Metro Crime Commission is advising residents to assume any pill sold online is fake; this includes Oxy, Percoset, Adderall and Xanox. DEA labs found that nearly 6 out of every 10 pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose.
The Wichita Metro Crime Commission, Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office, Wichita Police Department, Sedgwick County, and Y.E.E.P. (Youth Education Empowerment Program) actively promote drug education about the dangers of fentanyl on social media, radio, TV and billboards.
Sedgwick County created a website with info on risks, local data, prevention resources, and treatment & recovery options, which you can view at sedgwickcounty.org/drugmisuse.
A special “Fight Fentanyl” night will be held at the Wichita Wind Surge game on Saturday, June 24th, to increase community awareness.
