National Fentanyl Awareness May 10th raises questions for Fentanyl Awareness groups around the Nation

Official Statement-Facing Fentanyl National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day August 21

GRAND JUNCTION, CO, UNITED STATES, May 10, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ — Social media platforms like SNAPCHAT are aware that their sites are a primary method of illicit narcotic drug distribution. Parents have been addressing this issue with companies like SNAPCHAT since early 2017. To date, no substantiated measures have been made by SNAPCHAT to address this problem. Youth continue to die as fentanyl floods into our nation. The availability of fentanyl products on these sites will continue to escalate without appropriate action.

In February 2022 Facing Fentanyl, led by a group of grassroots fentanyl awareness organizations was the first to announce a National Fentanyl Awareness day. The event is scheduled to take place in August 2022. Recently a second fentanyl awareness day was announced by another group for a fentanyl awareness day on May 10th. In a 04/18/22 press release for the May 10th awareness day, Jennifer Stout VP of Global Public Policy at Snap Inc. stated SNAPCHAT as a founding partner for the fentanyl awareness day. Facing Fentanyl organizers agree that fentanyl awareness is an essential part of saving lives and fentanyl education is a key part of that. At Facing Fentanyl, we find concern that a SNAPCHAT executive and other social media outlets are advisors and founding partners to this May 10th fentanyl project.

In addition, the toolkit for the National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 10th only makes a mere mention about not buying pills online. We feel that the promotion of a National Day with founders such as SNAPCHAT would supply a clear list of the dangers related to their app if that was an intended part of their goal. Social media companies like SNAPCHAT have the technology and finances to make effective change. We are skeptical why this event has not promoted any such action.

In March 2022 Attorney General Josh Stein of North Carolina and 43 other Attorneys General issued a letter to TikTok and Snapchat urging them to prioritize keeping kids safe. Parental control is one helpful safety measure but, ultimately significant change needs to be made relating to the online distribution of illicit drugs and their availability on these sites.

Although we hope to see May 10th bring a conclusion to SNAPCHATS’ previously reported efforts to address safety on these sites, we do not see any proof of that in the promotion of May 10th day. Affiliates of Facing Fentanyl have been reaching out to us about the May 10th day and the confusion it may be causing to the public and our supporters. Families affected by fentanyl are discouraged again by the lack of communication with social media and response from the parties associated with the day. Facing Fentanyl is committed to bringing awareness to the dangers related to fentanyl and feels that the May 10th event is not fitting for our efforts at this time.

For the first time in our nation’s history, over 100,000 Americans have died of a drug overdose in the single year 2020-2021. Fentanyl deaths are projected to double in the year ahead. Fentanyl poisoning is now the leading cause of death for adults aged 18-45 in the United States, surpassing suicide, gun violence, and car accidents. Fentanyl-related deaths occur approximately every nine minutes.

Affected families and fentanyl awareness organizations all over the country are planning events for the National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on August 21. Facing Fentanyl wants to express our gratitude to those affiliated with this important day. It is our view that grassroots fentanyl awareness groups and affected families are one of the primary reasons that the dangers of illicit fentanyl are finally reaching the forefront of the news in the United States.

As our affiliated fentanyl awareness advocates and affected families continue to press the government and social media for effective change related to the fentanyl crisis on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, August 21, we applaud their devotion to trying to save others from devastation and sounding the alarm on illicit fentanyl.

Andrea Thomas
Facing Fentanyl
[email protected]
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