The five state Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Division, which includes Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota, is reminding Midwestern communities to continue education efforts that raise awareness to the life-threatening consequences of fentanyl experimentation and use while recognizing National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on August 21.
Education and prevention are critical components of the DEA’s law enforcement mission, and the agency proudly supports the efforts of organizations working to increase awareness of fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is inexpensive, widely available, highly addictive and comes in a variety of colors, shapes and forms – including powder and pills. Drug traffickers are increasingly mixing fentanyl with other illicit drugs to drive addiction and create repeat business. Many victims of fentanyl poisoning were unaware they ingested fentanyl. Two milligrams of fentanyl, small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially lethal dose.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) predicts that more than 107,543 people died last year from a drug poisoning or overdose, and according to a recent study by RAND Corporation, 42 percent of Americans know someone who died from a drug-related death.
“By arming people with information on the dangers of fentanyl, we’re helping them make informed decisions when faced with a potentially life-altering choice,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “If one conversation about the lethality of fentanyl encourages one person to say no when asked to experiment, that’s one life saved and one less family torn apart by the devastating effects of this drug.”
To date, DEA Omaha Division investigators have seized an estimated 1.6 million lethal doses of fentanyl, including nearly 224,000 fake fentanyl pills, in 2024.
Information and free resources, including the One Pill Can Kill partner toolkit, are available at DEA.gov/OnePill