No Safe Experience Campaign Has Launched to Raise Awareness on Dangers of Fentanyl
Concord, N.H. (May 9, 2023) – With National and New Hampshire Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 9, the statewide public awareness campaign “No Safe Experience” has fully launched across New Hampshire to alert individuals to the significant dangers of fentanyl. The campaign is focused on educating youth, young adults and families about the prevalence of fentanyl in counterfeit pills and illicit drugs and to heighten awareness that there is No Safe Experience without a prescription and even a very small dose can lead to death due to the high potency of the drug.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin and morphine. A dose the size of a few grains of salt can be lethal and it is often found to be mixed with other illicit substances. It is now regularly seen in fake pills branded as Oxycodone® and Percocet®, among others, and is undetectable without testing.
“The addition of fentanyl creates a toxic combination of chemicals powerful enough to kill unsuspecting individuals,” said Colonel Nathan Noyes, who heads the New Hampshire State Police. “The prevalence of fentanyl in other substances is on the rise and is becoming more commonly discovered in fake prescription pills, a variety of powders and other illicit substances. That’s why our message is simple and clear – there is no safe experience when it comes to experimenting with drugs or taking something that is not prescribed to you.”
No Safe Experience will run through the fall and is focused on individuals who may be inclined to try substances without fully understanding what they are, where they came from and what might actually be in them. The campaign includes videos, public service announcements, social media campaigns, highly visible signage and an informational website. Posters, racks cards and decals were distributed to 217 public middle and high schools and educational toolkits and resources have been made available to schools across the state.
“Fentanyl is dangerous, and it is lethal,” said Andrea Cahill, who led a fentanyl awareness rally on May 6 in Manchester. “We thought our son Tyler overdosed in his bedroom three years ago, but the toxicology report showed that he was poisoned by fentanyl after ingesting a fake Percocet®. I wish we knew then what we know now about the dangers of fentanyl, and it being laced in everything on the streets. My hope is to spread awareness to keep Tyler and his dad Rich’s memory alive, to ensure that no other family endures the pain and tragedy of that morning and most of all to help save lives. The bottom line is, there is no safe experience without a prescription.”
For more information, facts and resources, visit NoSafeExperience.org.
New Hampshire Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 9 Official Proclamation
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