Heartbroken families reflect on Fentanyl Awareness Day with renewed focus [Video]

SHAWNEE, Kan. (KCTV) – One pill can kill.

Tuesday marks the second annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day. According to the CDC, 150 people die from a Fentanyl overdose every day. The numbers are just as alarming in the Kansas City area, but in particular with teens.

In Johnson County, Kansas, opioid and fentanyl use among teens and young adults continues to rise. In 2020, only 7.5% of teens entering treatment at Johnson County Mental Health Center’s Adolescent Center for Treatment reported using opioids. The number has risen sharply ever since to 18% in 2021, 35% in 2022 and now over 50% in 2023.

In March, Johnson County’s Prevention and Recovery Coalition launched “You Never Know”, a digital campaign targeting young people about the rising rates of fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, often illegally made and it’s added to other drugs, like Oxycontin, Percocet, Xanax and Vicodin. It is one of the most common drugs involved in overdose …