BETHLEHEM TWP., Pa. – Northampton County officials Tuesday launched a new program aimed at reducing deaths from opioid overdoses.
- Northampton County officials announced the 'Fake is Real' campaign, which aims to beat back fentanyl overdose deaths
- The program focuses on educating young adults about the risks of fentanyl in counterfeit opioid pills sold on the street
- Free doses of Narcan, the overdose-reversal drug, are available from the county
Department of Human Services Director Susan Wandalowski, County Executive Lamont McClure, District Attorney Terry Houck and others walked through the county’s “Fake is Real” campaign, educating teens and young adults about the dangers of fentanyl in counterfeit pills.
The cheap, powerful and readily available opioid has been found mixed into fake pills imitating prescription opioids. Fentanyl has also been found mixed into drugs ranging from MDMA to meth, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
Its potency makes it especially possible to overdose, especially in users who don’t know they are taking it.
Deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids have surged in the U.S. since 2014 and have accounted for more deaths than any other drug since 2016, according to data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
“I want to scare the hell out of these kids,” McClure said. “But we don't want to just scare them. We want to educate them.”
“I want to scare the hell out of these kids. But we don't want to just scare them. We want to educate them.”Lamont McClure, Northampton County executive
That education takes the form of materials developed by Easton-based marketing firm Kudu. The campaign’s centerpiece is a new website, FakeIsReal.org, focused on the risks of fentanyl mixed into other drugs.
The site also serves as a list of local addiction treatment resources, and a main portal to access county training on the use of naloxone, the opioid-overdose antidote under the brand Narcan.
Naloxone can reverse an overdose of opioids like fentanyl. Anyone can sign up for training, which sends participants home with a 2-pack of the treatment.
“Our goal is for businesses to adopt Narcan just like any AED defibrillator as an essential tool made accessible in public spaces,” said Sarah Clark, who worked on the campaign for Kudu.
A digital billboard on Route 22 and ads in local newspapers will soon follow, bearing slogans like, “You don’t take fentanyl, fentanyl takes you.”
The program does not include fentanyl test strips, which became legal in Pennsylvania in early January. The strips can detect fentanyl in drugs, potentially preventing overdoses, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“Fake is Real” is the county’s first program funded with money from a settlement with opioid manufacturers and retailers. Officials in the county’s Drug and Alcohol Division say more are soon to come.
