May 10th was the first ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day

The hope is that by increasing awareness we can decrease demand:



"Illegally made fentanyl and its dangers, while well-documented by health professionals and law enforcement, are largely unknown to the general population and even more so to its most vulnerable population: youth and young adults. According to the CDC, fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, and all other accidents. Among teenagers, overdose deaths linked to synthetic opioids like fentanyl tripled in the past two years, yet 73% have never heard of fake prescription pills being made with fentanyl."

"The practice of cutting drugs with fentanyl is relatively new, so public awareness is low. Educating the public about this crisis is the first step to reversing the tragic outcomes."

Watch DEA Administrator Anne Milgram

Click below for 2020 California Quick Stats Overdose deaths: 

Contact the CDPH with questions:

[email protected]

If you're considering drug use, exercise caution:

•  Any “prescription” pill you don’t directly get from a pharmacy, or any powder form drugs purchased from a friend/drug dealer, may contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. Real prescription drugs are not available on Instagram or Snapchat.

• Assume it’s fentanyl: any pill or powder drug not prescribed by a doctor could be poisoned with fentanyl. You don’t need to take the full pill for it to be lethal; there are documented deaths after ingesting just one half of a pill.

• Test your product: Test strips help you see if your drugs contain fentanyl. Caution: There is no such thing as a pill that has been tested for fentanyl, since the test requires that you fully dissolve each and every entire pill in water. Test strips also do not test for every fentanyl analog.

• Carry naloxone:  Find naloxone near you and get trained to administer it.

• Know the signs of an overdose: Loss of consciousness, unresponsiveness, irregular breathing, and inability to speak are a few of the signs to look out for.

• Be prepared to call for help: If you witness someone experiencing the symptoms of an overdose, call 911 and request emergency medical services. Learn more about California's Good Samaritan law.

Bridge Navigator Program

The CalBridge Behavioral Health Navigator Program (Bridge Navigator Program) supports emergency departments (EDs) to become primary access points for the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. Hospitals participating in the Bridge Navigator Program address substance use disorder as a treatable medical emergency, utilizing trained navigators to identify patients who would benefit from initiating medication for addiction treatment (MAT) or mental health services. Through this program, the Department of Health Care Services aims to make treatment of substance use and mental health conditions the standard of care in all California EDs.

Up and Away Program:

Keep drugs and medications out of kids reach. Find a place in your home that is too high for children to reach or see. Different families will have different places. Walk around your home and find the best place to keep your medicines and vitamins up and away, even between doses. Make sure that medicines carried with you (including those in purses, bags, pockets, or pill organizers) are also kept out of sight and reach of young children.

Tip Sheet

Get help for Substance Use Disorder:

Click Get Help above for the Drug Free Babies webpage. The DHCS 2022 Perinatal Services Directory (below) lists Publicly Funded substance use disorder programs for women and children in California. Organized by county, the directory lists recovery programs with name, address, contact phone number, and description (inpatient or outpatient). If a treatment facility does not have availability for a pregnant woman who seeks treatment, referrals must be provided to another treatment facility. In the event that no other program is available, treatment programs must provide interim services.