On Aug. 21, Bernalillo County announced its observance of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day and is joining nationwide efforts to raise awareness about the hazards of synthetic opioids. As part of these efforts, the county has launched the Keep NM Alive website to provide educational information and access to live-saving resources.
“Moms, dads, brothers and sisters, grandparents and spouses are on the frontlines holding our community members through their suffering,” says Bernalillo County District 3 Commissioner Adriann Barboa, according to a press release from the county. “We honor them on this National Fentanyl Awareness and Prevention Day and offer the keepNMalive.com website, full of resources, hope, and access to care to address this epidemic.”
According to the press release, National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day was established with the intention of remembering victims of fentanyl poisoning and to recognize the damage the drug has done to communities. The Keep NM Alive website provides information on the risks of fentanyl, treatment options, and available support groups and ways to join the fight against the spread of fentanyl. The website will also feature the Faces of Fentanyl, a series of video testimonials from just some of the New Mexico parents that have lost their children to fentanyl poisoning
For the second consecutive year, Bernalillo County is joining the City of Albuquerque, local health and wellness groups, public safety divisions, and families affected by fentanyl to organize a forthcoming sequence of workshops in October to raise community awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, per the press release.
According to the press release, Fentanyl s a synthetic opioid almost 50 times as fatal as heroin and is 100 times more potent than morphine. The national Drug Enforcement Administration has ranked it as the deadliest and most destructive drug threat in the Albuquerque metro area
Visitors can access Bernalillo County’s Department of Behavioral Health Services' website for more information on inpatient and outpatient care, detox centers and community care programs.