|
DEA Recognizes National Fentanyl Awareness Day with Extended Museum Hours
 For a fifth straight year, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will show its support for “Song for Charlie” and our many valued partners in law enforcement, public health, and non-profit agencies in recognizing National Fentanyl Awareness Day on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. DEA’s observation of National Fentanyl Awareness Day will include extended museum hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The Faces of Fentanyl memorial exhibit is a representation of the faces of America to include all ages, all races, and all backgrounds, who have been lost to the synthetic opioid crisis. The Faces of Fentanyl memorial exhibit, which is located at the DEA Museum at 700 Army Navy Drive in Arlington, VA, displays more than 7,000 photos. Last year, the exhibit was enhanced by the addition of a new, interactive online exhibit, which is accessible to everyone at dea.gov/facesoffentanyl.
Fentanyl-related deaths have decreased in the past several years, yet fentanyl remains the leading cause of death among Americans aged 18-45 years old. Six months ago, DEA intensified its fight against the deadly threat of synthetic opioids with the launch of its Fentanyl Free America initiative.
“We will never forget the lives lost and the families forever changed by this devastating crisis,” said Administrator Terrance Cole. “National Fentanyl Awareness Day serves as a reminder of the urgent need to come together, educate our communities, and intensify our fight against fentanyl - a weapon of mass destruction that continues to kill Americans every day - as we work to achieve a Fentanyl Free America.”
|
|
Check Out Winners of the Youth THC Prevention Video PSA Contest!
 Johnny’s Ambassadors sponsored a Video PSA Contest demonstrating the importance of preventing cannabis/THC use (vaping, dabbing, marijuana, edibles) among high school students. The contest was an opportunity for high schools to demonstrate how their students are working to prevent cannabis misuse at their school and to encourage their peers to abstain.
Smoke Is Smoke: Burning or Vaporizing Anything Causes Dangerous Secondhand Smoke
 Smoking and secondhand smoke exposure remain leading causes of preventable death and disease in the United States. Secondhand smoke can damage heart and lung health and can come from not just cigarettes, but also cigars, marijuana, electronic cigarettes, and hookah.
Symptoms of exposure include itchy, watery eyes, coughing, breathing difficulty, as well as interference with the normal functioning of the heart, blood, and vascular systems in ways that can trigger asthma attacks and even increase the risk of having a heart attack.
With respect to marijuana in particular, some studies show that indoor cannabis smoking can create particulate pollution levels comparable to or even higher than tobacco smoke. And aerosol from electronic cigarettes/vapes contains nicotine, ultrafine particles and low levels of toxins that are known to cause cancer. When people who do not smoke are around someone who is using e-cigarettes, they are breathing a toxic aerosol of exhaled nicotine, ultra-fine particles, volatile organic compounds, and flavored chemicals linked to lung damage.
|
|
We're Growing!
The Together for Families network now includes hundreds of organizations and individuals from across the United States. Please encourage families and community members concerned about substance use to sign up for updates.
Also, if you work with an organization that has a free resource, information or event that you want families to know about, encourage them to join the Together for Families network by e-mailing togetherforfamilies@dea.gov.
|
|
|
|
