Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, in recognition of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, U.S. Representative Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) joined her colleagues in introducing a bipartisan resolution to formally designate August 21 as Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.

This resolution, she hopes, will help unite families affected by fentanyl and awareness organizations so together they can educate the public about the dangers of illegally made fentanyl. The resolution also seeks to unite the public and policymakers in the fight against this deadly epidemic as fentanyl-related deaths continue to rise. 

Every day, more than 150 Americans die from overdoses involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl, and fentanyl remains the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 45. In 2024 alone, law enforcement seized 60 million counterfeit pills, equating to over 377 million lethal doses.

“Like far too many Americans, my family was impacted by the opioid epidemic after my mom was overprescribed painkillers after a back injury that led to a decades long battle with addiction, including fentanyl. My mom is alive today – celebrating 8 years in recovery – because of overdose-reversal medication like naloxone and the treatment she was able to access through Medicaid,” said Pettersen. “Now, people like my mom could lose access to the health care they need, jeopardizing the progress we’ve made to curb this epidemic. That’s why I’m proud to help introduce this resolution to make sure we raise awareness, educate others, and help ensure everyone has access to the treatment they need to rebuild their lives and live in recovery.”

Inspired by her own mother’s struggle with a substance use disorder, Pettersen has been leading the fight against the opioid epidemic for a decade in the Colorado state legislature and now in Congress. She has introduced measures to combat this public health crisis and address everything from the import of synthetic opioids like fentanyl, the financing of drug cartels, expanding access to treatment, and preventing overdose deaths by ensuring airplanes, law enforcement, and hospitals are able to distribute naloxone when necessary.

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To access downloadable, high-quality photos, click here. To stay up-to-date on what Pettersen is doing in Congress, follow her on Twitter here, Facebook here, or Instagram here. Residents can also sign-up for her e-newsletter subscription here.