Residents of Albuquerque and surrounding Bernalillo County in New Mexico are encouraged to attend a community event next week to learn about the dangers of fentanyl and strategies for addressing the crisis, the organizers announced recently.
Bernalillo County, the City of Albuquerque, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and community partner organizations are presenting "Keep NM Alive: A Conversation about Fentanyl" from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Albuquerque Convention Center, Bernalillo County and the City of Albuquerque announced Sept. 29. The event can also be streamed at keepNMalive.com, according to the announcements.
"This extensive fentanyl awareness campaign will immerse the community in valuable information to combat this life-ending and family-shattering drug," Bernalillo County stated in its announcement. "The goal of this free summit is to provide awareness to the cause, supply, consequences of use, and community resources to combat the impact fentanyl is having on the community."
The Oct. 13 fentanyl summit will start with a "community conversation" on fentanyl and counterfeit fentany; the affects and impacts of opioids on individuals, families and communities; fentanyl's role in contributing to crime and homelessness; and resources for help. The conversations will include more than 40 experts in the subject, according to the announcements.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defines fentanyl as "a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S." Both types of fentanyl - pharmaceutical, which is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain; and illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is sold illegally for its "heroin-like effect." Illegal fentanyl is often mixed into other drugs to make them "cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous," the CDC states. More than 150 people in the U.S. die each day from opioid-related overdoses, according to the CDC.
The New Mexico Department of Health reports there were 801 overdose deaths in the state in 2020; of those, 66% involved opioids and 39% involved fentanyl specifically.
"Fentanyl use, overdose, and poisoning have taken a toll in all regions of our country, from the largest cities to the smallest towns," the county states in is announcement.
"Parents and community members who once thought “it could never happen to my family,” are now facing the harsh reality of educating themselves on how to identify the presence, use, and how to seek resources to fight addiction of fentanyl."