This October, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is increasing One Pill Kills public awareness efforts as part of Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month. Signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott in 2024, House Bill 3144 established the month of October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month — a statewide effort to bring awareness and education to the public about the dangers of fentanyl and the life-saving power of opioid poisoning reversal medication.
“Fentanyl continues to threaten lives and families across Texas, and we cannot let the danger fade from public awareness,” said DPS Colonel Freeman F. Martin. “We have a responsibility to keep the conversation going, educate our children and communities about the risks and make sure Texans understand just how dangerous this drug can be. Every conversation, every warning and every effort to share the facts can make a difference. By working together and staying vigilant, we can help prevent more fentanyl-related tragedies and save lives.”
To help increase awareness throughout October, DPS will share a series of social media videos geared at educating Texans about the dangers of fentanyl and directing them to available resources through the One Pill Kills (OPK) campaign. Governor Abbott launched One Pill Kills in 2022 as a way to educate Texans on how to prevent, recognize and reverse fentanyl poisonings.
DPS would also like to remind Texans about its Safety Education team which offers specialized programming to schools, churches, community groups and other organizations that would like to learn more about the statewide OPK campaign and the dangers of fentanyl. This presentation can be tailored for a variety of audiences and age groups and is available free of charge. To learn more, contact a Safety Education team member in your area, here.
More About Fentanyl
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl has become widespread, often mixed with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine or counterfeit prescription pills. Since the launch of Operation Lone Star in 2021, DPS has seized more than 966,083,350 lethal doses of fentanyl – that’s more than enough to kill every man, woman and child in America.
