Over 71,000 Americans died from fentanyl in 2023
What is Fentanyl and why is it so dangerous?
In 2023, 71,821 people died from a fentanyl overdose in the US.
Initially, opioid deaths were largely driven by a flood of legal prescriptions for drugs such as Hydrocodone, Oxycodone, Oxymorphone, and Morphine. But in recent years, as prescriptions fell, illicit fentanyl became the main cause of overdose deaths.
The fentanyl epidemic has reached every state, but the effects are not felt equally across the US. When adjusted for population, West Virginia and Washington, DC had the highest rates of opioid overdose deaths. http://bitly.ws/AzSB
The Salt Experiment:
How much fentanyl does it take to kill one person
Participating students were asked if they knew about fentanyl and then told that 71,000 people died from fentanyl in 2021. They were then asked to scope the lethal amount of fentanyl (represented by salt) using the cups and spoons provided. After measuring the amount they were informed how many actual people that amount would kill.
Even the students that knew about fentanyl were shocked at how LITTLE fentanyl it would take to kill one person. Watch the amounts that some of the students chose.
Resources
The Storyteller Project
“If history were taught in the form of stories, it would never be forgotten.” – Rudyard Kipling
According to data from the Skilz Dot Org Model 3 Opioid Awareness Program (which over 1700 high school students participated in), over 85% of participating students did not have a good understanding of opioids and particularly the dangers of fentanyl.
Based off this lack of knowledge of the dangers and to increase the odds for students to make better choices on November 1st, 2021 Skilz.org began “The Storyteller Project” with the TEAL Center at Newark Tech High School in Newark, NJ. Our goal is for the students to teach other students about the dangers of fentanyl by producing Public Service Announcements (PSA) and other marketing materials. We utilize storytelling skills and techniques to teach the dangers of opioids because Stories–rather than pronouncements or warnings–are invaluable in teaching. Additionally, knowing how to tell stories is invaluable in living. (read more)
News
News: On June 12th, 2024 TEAL students & Skilz Dot Org went to DEA Headquarters in Arlington, VA to present our fentanyl awareness ideas to DEA Administer Anne Milgram
The ultimate goal of the Model 3 Opioid Awareness Program is to increase the odds of students making “Better Choices”. This is a video of high school students discussing their experiences during the Model 3 Opioid Awareness Program. The interviews were filmed at the D.E.A.’s office in Newark, NJ.
Watch the Award Winning Video on the Model 3 Opioid Awareness Program
A Prevention Focused Solution
In collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Skilz.org, has developed a live, interactive educational program designed to build youth (grades 9-12) awareness of the dangers of opioid use, with a particular focus on populations affected by systemic inequities.
By increasing youth awareness, the program aims to (1) reduce the likelihood that youth will engage in behaviors that could lead to opioid dependency, (2) empower youth to intervene in situations in which others may be at risk of engaging in such behaviors, and (3) empower youth to intervene in situations in which someone has suffered an overdose. ……..
