In part one of my three-blog series on drug use prevention, I shared how Chernoff Newman is helping DAODAS (Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services) to reduce opioid use, prevent overdosing and save lives. In part two, I am featuring our Just Plain Killers companion campaign that addresses the massive influx of fake pills and fentanyl.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid. It’s 50 times more potent than heroin. All it takes is two milligrams to kill a person. That tiny amount can fit on the tip of a pencil and is equal to about 10 grains of salt. In South Carolina, from 2020 to 2021, there were 1,494 drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl. An increase of more than 35%.
The critical issue is people purchasing what they believe are legitimate pills such as Xanax, Adderall or Oxycodone online, on the street or from “a friend.” But they’re really getting counterfeit pills made to appear authentic. How bad is it? More than half the fake pills tested in South Carolina contained fentanyl. Worse, there is no way to tell how much fentanyl is in any individual pill. It’s a hidden danger that is the inspiration behind this campaign.
I’m incredibly proud of this work, as it genuinely defines what we mean by producing work that matters.
Learn more about our work with DAODAS.
