Hi, I’m Christine Wolf. I’m a trauma-informed memoir coach certified in Mental Health First Aid response. In my work, I sit with people who are writing about the hardest chapters of their lives. And today, on National Fentanyl Awareness Day, I want to talk about a topic that comes up more than you might think.

Here’s what you need to know.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine. Two milligrams — a few grains of salt — can kill you. It’s being pressed into counterfeit pills made to look exactly like Xanax, Percocet, and Adderall. People take what they think is a prescription pill, and they don’t survive it.

In 2013, there were 3,105 recorded fentanyl fatalities in the United States. By 2022, that number had jumped to more than 73,000 — a 23-fold increase in less than a decade. It is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. And 75% of overdose deaths among kids ages 10 to 19 involve fentanyl, often without them knowing they took it at all.

Here’s the part that matters today: we are making progress. Overdose deaths dropped 24% from 2023 to 2024, and that’s not by accident. This is the result of funding, awareness, naloxone access, treatment programs, and communities refusing to stay silent.

But the progress is precarious. We are watching federal funding for these programs face cuts. We are watching conversations get quieter at the exact moment they need to get louder.

So today — please talk to someone.

Learn what naloxone is and where to get it. You can often get it for free. And if you or someone you know is struggling, please reach out to SAMHSA — the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, a federal agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Their helpline is free, confidential, and available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The number is 1-800-662-4357.

And, if you’ve lost someone, please hear this:

Losing a loved one to substance passing is in no way a reflection on them or on you. It is not a failure of willpower. It is not a weakness of morality or character. Addiction is a health crisis, and fentanyl is uniquely and devastatingly lethal — often striking people who had no idea what they were even taking.

Too often, families are left to grieve in silence — isolated and judged — because these losses aren’t talked about enough. That silence is part of the problem. And breaking it is part of the solution.

There is a community for you. GRASP — Grief Recovery After Substance Passing — exists specifically for people navigating this kind of loss. Find them at grasphelp.org.

Here’s how you can be part of the solution today:

* Talk about it. With your kids, your neighbors, your colleagues. Awareness is what saves lives. See below for talking points and resources.

* Carry naloxone. It’s available without a prescription and it reverses overdose. Look up how to get it in your area.

* Share this video. You might not know who in your circle needs it — but someone probably does.

* Donate or volunteer with organizations fighting this crisis on the ground.

* Call your representatives. Tell them that funding for mental health and substance use treatment is not optional. Plug in your address here to find your congressional representatives.

The deaths we’ve seen from fentanyl overdose have gone down because people showed up. Please don’t stop showing up.

Thank you.

#NationalFentanylAwarenessDay #NFAD2026 #StopOverdose SAMHSA: 1-800-662-4357 | grasphelp.org

How to talk about fentanyl

For parents talking to kids:

* Drug Enforcement Administration: www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness — plain-language facts plus conversation guides

* Song for Charlie: www.songforcharlie.org — founded by a father who lost his son; has specific film resources and family discussion guides designed for this exact conversation

* Talk. They Hear You. (SAMHSA): www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you — a campaign specifically built to help parents start the conversation with young people

For educators and community leaders:

* CDC Fentanyl Awareness Toolkit: www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention — includes shareable facts, social media content, and classroom resources

* Song for Charlie’s “Real Talk About Fake Pills” — a film with educator guides designed for school assemblies

For anyone talking to someone who may be struggling:

* SAMHSA: www.samhsa.gov — has guides on how to have supportive, non-shaming conversations about substance use

* Mental Health First Aid: www.mentalhealthfirstaid.org — training and talking point resources for approaching someone in crisis

For general awareness conversations:

* www.USAFacts.org — clean, nonpartisan data on fentanyl deaths you can cite without anyone questioning the source

* DEA One Pill Can Kill: www.dea.gov/onepill — simple, shareable facts about counterfeit pills

Free or low-cost naloxone — where to look:

Easiest starting point:

* SAMHSA’s treatment locator: findtreatment.gov — search for free naloxone programs near you by zip code

* NEXT Distro: nextdistro.org — a mail-based harm reduction platform that delivers free naloxone directly to your door, nationwide

At pharmacies — no prescription needed:

* Narcan nasal spray is now available over the counter for under $50 at most major pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and Rite Aid

* If you have insurance, a prescription is almost always covered, often at a $0–$10 copay through Medicaid, Medicare, or commercial plans

* Use GoodRx (goodrx.com) for coupons if paying out of pocket

Community resources:

* Local harm reduction programs — including syringe service programs, recovery centers, and community health organizations — frequently distribute naloxone for free and often provide training on how to use it

* Your local health department — search “[your state] free naloxone program”

* Some states are now installing vending machines in public places like libraries and clinics that provide free naloxone kits

NOTE: Urban pharmacies generally have good stock, while rural areas and tribal communities may face more limited access — so community-based and mail options like NEXT Distro matter especially in those areas.

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