U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan and Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy introduced the fentanyl awareness campaign, “One Pill Can Kill – Alaska,” to combat the increase in fentanyl-related deaths across Alaska and the country.
The public awareness campaign examines where fentanyl is coming from, where and how it is being sold, the dangers of the drug, how it impacts Alaska communities, and the resources that are available for treatment, prevention, and reporting criminal activity.
This campaign comes after the State of Alaska released preliminary data demonstrating that more Alaskans died of drug overdoses in 2023 than in any previously recorded year.
“Alaska is under attack,” Senator Sullivan said. “The DEA estimates that 7 out of every 10 pills that they seize contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. Think about that. It’s shocking. Scary. And it’s why this campaign is needed. During today’s press conference and in the coming months, this campaign—which is going to bring in all Alaskans—we will examine where fentanyl comes from, where and how it is being sold, the dangers of the drug, how it impacts Alaska communities, and importantly, the resources available for treatment, prevention and reporting criminal activity. Combating this epidemic needs to be a multi-pronged strategy: international, federal, state, and local, and Alaskans on the ground. We’ve already lost way too many Alaskan lives, but there’s no doubt that with all of us working together, we can reverse the shocking increase in overdoses in our state.”
“If your activity has inflicted the death of an Alaskan, you need to be prepared to pay the consequences. And so I’d ask our Legislature to move this fentanyl bill, get this passed and send a message to these dealers, but also send a message to Alaskans that we’re not gonna tolerate it,” said Governor Mike Dunleavy.
Other Alaska Department of Safety Crime Lab speakers included Attorney General Treg. R. Taylor, Statewide Drug Enforcement Unit Commander, Captain Cornelius Sims, Department of Public Health Commissioner Heidi Hedberg, and two mothers whose children were victims of drug overdoses, Sandy Snodgrass and Karen Malcom-Smith.