The fourth annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day takes place this year on April 29, 2025. Fentanyl Awareness Day is observed to help inform communities like ours about the dangers of illegally made fentanyl. Across all ages, almost all (95%) fatal opioid overdoses have involved fentanyl since 2020 in the Fairfax Health District.
Illegal fentanyl is dangerous, but there are steps you can take to prevent overdoses. See the infographic below to get the facts on fentanyl and learn how to help prevent fentanyl overdoses in our community.
Fentanyl Facts
In the Fairfax Health District in 2024:
- [Hospital icon on an arrow pointing downward with text "29%"] Non-fatal opioid overdose emergency room visits decreased from a record high of 406 in 2023 to 290 in 2024.
- [95 stick figures shaded dark blue, 5 stick figures shaded teal] 95% of fatal opioid overdoses have involved fentanyl since 2020.*
Youth Under 18
- [Hospital icon on an arrow pointing downward with text "71%"] Non-fatal opioid overdose emergency room visits decreased from a record high of 58 in 2023 to 17 in 2024.
- [12 stick figures shaded dark blue] There were 12 fatal opioid overdoses, all involving fentanyl, since 2020.*
Illegal fentanyl is dangerous.
- Fentanyl is a strong, lab-made pain reliever.
- There are two types of fentanyl: medical grade and illegally made fentanyl.
- [Circle with a medical cross icon in it] Medical fentanyl is prescribed by a doctor and can be given safely by health professionals.
- [Triangle with a skull and cross bone icon in it] Illegally made fentanyl is dangerous because it is uncontrolled. The amount of fentanyl in each pill is different and could be fatal.
- Illegal fentanyl is used to make counterfeit (fake) prescription pills and added to some drugs.
- It's not possible to tell if a pill contains fentanyl by sight, smell, or taste.
- People who overdose often don't know they are taking fentanyl.
You can prevent overdoses.
- [Checkmark icon] Only take pills you get from your pharmacist.
- [Icon representing various drugs in a circle with a line through it] Assume any prescription pill you see online is fake, including Oxy, Percocet, Adderall, and Xanax.
- [Two speech bubbles icon] Get tips on how to talk to your teen about fentanyl. fcps.edu/becomeunskippable
- [Lock icon] Safely store medication in your home. fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/prevention/lock-and-talk
- [Computer screen with a trash can icon] Dispose of unused or expired medications. fairfaxcounty.gov/health/drug-disposal
- [Naloxone icon] Take a training and receive free Naloxone (Narcan), a nasal spray that reverses fentanyl overdoses and saves lives. fairfaxcounty.gov/community-services-board/heroin-opioid/revive
Call or text 9-1-1 if a situation is immediately life-threatening.
[Icon of a mouse cursor]
- Learn more and find support resources: fairfaxcounty.gov/topics/opioids
- See more Fairfax Health District data: fairfaxcounty.gov/health/opioid-overdoses-data
- fairfaxcounty.gov/health
- [Facebook logo] fairfaxcountyhealth
- [X and Instagram logos] fairfaxhealth
Sources
- cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/fentanyl-facts
- fentanylawarenessday.org
- Electronic Surveillance System for the Early Notification of Community-based Epidemics (ESSENCE)
- Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Virginia Department of Health
- *Preliminary data from OCME through September 2024, subject to change.
[Fairfax County Health Department logo] Fairfax County Health Department
Learn more
For more data, see the Opioid Overdose Dashboard.
Find more information about opioids and support resources from Fairfax County.