Multnomah County launches fentanyl awareness campaign to combat youth overdoses
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The Multnomah County Health Department launched a fentanyl awareness campaign on Tuesday, aiming to warn young people about the dangers of the deadly drug amid a nationwide rise in overdose deaths.
The "Expect Fentanyl" campaign is part of the county’s 90-day fentanyl emergency, which brought state, county, and city leaders together to coordinate a response to the fentanyl crisis.
The campaign will include targeted ads for youth between 13- and 20-years-old highlighting the dangers of the drug and how common it is for counterfeit drugs to contain fentanyl.
The ads will appear on bus benches and shelters across the county, along with ads on YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, Spotify, and Pandora.
According to Multnomah County, seven out of 10 pills seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration in 2023 contained a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl -- noting a lethal dose is 2 milligrams, or about the size of 10 grains of salt or the tip of a pencil.
“We know young people are uniquely vulnerable to misinformation about fentanyl, creating a serious and deadly issue that we’ve been working hard to combat on many fronts,” Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega Pederson said. “Reducing youth exposure to fentanyl and preventing untimely and tragic overdose deaths must be a primary driver in our work to address this crisis. This campaign is the help, awareness, and further education young people and their families need.”
'Losing almost one classroom of young people a week'
In 2021, 77% of drug overdose deaths among adolescents across the United States involved fentanyl, Multnomah County said.
The county also highlighted a New England Journal of Medicine report showing an average of 22 teenagers between 14-18 died in the U.S. every week in 2022 from overdoses by counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl.
“If 22 teens are dying each week from drug overdose, that means we are losing almost one classroom of young people a week across this country,” Multnomah County Health Department Director Rachael Banks said. “We must do everything we can to change that.’’
From 2018 to 2022, there were 1,406 deadly drug overdoses in Multnomah County. People between 15 and 24 accounted for 80 of those deaths, the county said, citing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Deaths are rising even as teen drug use overall is going down,” Banks said. “It’s unacceptable — for teens, for their families and their communities, and for us.”
The $184,784 campaign will run through early October to reach students at the beginning of the 2024-2025 school year, Multnomah County said.
The campaign includes ads highlighting the similar appearances between counterfeit and non-counterfeit pills, noting you cannot see, smell, or taste fentanyl when its mixed with other drugs such as meth, cocaine, molly, and prescriptions like Xanax, Adderall, Percocet, and OxyContin.
Another ad encourages people to carry overdose reversal medication naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, to help others in the event of an overdose.
Signs of an overdose may include an inability to wake up, slow or no breathing, choking or gurgling sounds, blue or gray fingernails or lips, and cold, clammy skin, officials warn. If you suspect someone is experiencing an overdose, officials said there are four simple steps you can take to help them.
"So check to see if somebody is not breathing and try to wake them up, call 911 and put them on speaker phone, spray naloxone in the nose and then stay with with them until help arrives," said Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno.
The county pointed out Naloxone is free for 15-18-year-old students at high school student health centers and students under 15 can get naloxone with parent permission. The Health Department’s Harm Reduction Clinic also offers naloxone and fentanyl test strips.
Officials noted Oregon’s Good Samaritan Law provides legal protection for anyone helping someone experiencing an overdose. People who call 911 or seek medical care when they experience an overdose or witness someone experiencing an overdose cannot be arrested or prosecuted for: possessing drugs or drug paraphernalia, being in a place where drugs are used, violating probation or parole, or for outstanding warrants related to possessing drugs or being in a place where drugs are used.
Free support for people 21-and-younger experiencing substance use or mental health challenges can receive help from YouthLine, a confidential teen-to-teen crisis helpline.