The Rise of Fentanyl: Saving Lives by Moving Communities From Understanding to Action

Monday, April 18, 2022

2:30 PM – 3:45 PM ET

Location: A311-312

Presenter(s)

Merilee Fowler, BS

Executive Director
MATFORCE
Prescott Valley, Arizona
Shelly Mowrey, BA

Demand Reduction Coordinator
Arizona High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA)
Chandler, Arizona

Moderator(s)

LeShaundra Cordier, MPH, CHES

Director, Communications Strategy
Brunet-García
Tucker, Georgia

Young people across the nation are overdosing at an alarming rate from counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. They are cheap, easy to get, and offered on social media apps kids visit every single day. With the alarming rise of fentanyl and counterfeit pill deaths, substance use prevention coalition leaders from Arizona created a toolkit to aid communities in preventing overdoses. The toolkit contains educational materials and resources that can be customized for individual communities. This session takes attendees step by step through the process of creating, implementing, and evaluating the toolkit. Those who attend will receive a link where they can access all of the educational materials, public service messages, and community education resources.

Learning Objectives:

Describe implementation of The Rise of Fentanyl - Moving Communities from Understanding to Action initiative as an emerging, research-based model for preventing fentanyl (specifically counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl) use and overdoses
Explain fentanyl and counterfeit pill messaging to community coalitions, partner organizations, and local affiliates to encourage partnership as message carriers
Outline community-engaged approaches to prevent fentanyl and counterfeit pill use and overdose