AUSTIN Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 1, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is increasing its One Pill Kills public awareness efforts as part of Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month. Signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott last year, 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 is a clandestine killer, and it is now more important than ever that we talk to our families, children, friends and loved ones about just how prevalent it is in communities across Texas,” DPS Director Steven McCraw said in a news release. “This month, and really every month, we must do everything we can to get the word out about this deadly drug in order to 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 also continues with its other OPK awareness efforts including updating public service announcements which air in the waiting areas of more than 180 driver license offices across the state, educational signage in more than 350 public facing DPS buildings statewide and a dedicated webpage housing resources and information about the campaign. You can visit www.dps.texas.gov/onepillkills to learn more.
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 using the drop-down menu, here.
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 half a billion lethal doses of fentanyl — that’s more than enough to kill every man, woman and child in America.
