DEA Highlights National Fentanyl Awareness Day with Launch of Online Memorial Exhibit

In recognition of National Fentanyl Awareness Day on April 29, 2025, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is expanding public access to its Faces of Fentanyl memorial through the debut of a new interactive online exhibit. This digital platform complements the existing physical display at DEA Headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, and serves to honor the lives lost to the nation’s ongoing fentanyl crisis.

As part of the observance, the DEA Museum will extend its operating hours from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. The Faces of Fentanyl exhibit features more than 7,000 photos of individuals who have died due to fentanyl-related drug poisonings. Victims span a wide range of backgrounds, including students, athletes, first responders, and professionals. Ages of those featured range from infants to elderly individuals, reflecting the widespread reach of the crisis across all demographics.

The exhibit has evolved into a place of remembrance and awareness for families and the broader public. Its expansion into an online format now allows people across the country to access the memorial and learn more about the impact of fentanyl. The DEA has positioned the exhibit as a tool for education and collective mourning, underscoring the agency’s broader efforts to combat synthetic opioids.

Fentanyl continues to be the most dangerous drug threat in the United States, responsible for a majority of the nation’s drug-related deaths. In 2023 alone, over 105,000 Americans died from drug poisonings, with synthetic opioids like fentanyl accounting for nearly 70% of those fatalities. Although preliminary CDC data suggests a potential 26.5% decrease in overdose deaths year-over-year, DEA officials stress the importance of remaining vigilant.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine, and as little as two milligrams can be lethal. Criminal organizations such as the Sinaloa and CJNG cartels have been disguising fentanyl in counterfeit pills and mixing it into other illicit substances, posing a severe risk to unsuspecting users. The DEA warns that only medications obtained from licensed medical professionals can be considered safe.

To raise awareness, DEA encourages the public to participate in National Fentanyl Awareness Day by sharing educational content on social media using hashtags such as #NationalFentanylAwarenessDay, #DEAHQ, #OnePillCanKill, and #JustKnow. The public can also submit photos of loved ones lost to fentanyl to be included in the online memorial at www.dea.gov/facesoffentanyl.

Article by multiple RFHC contributors, based upon information from a DEA press release.

Video Spotlight