DEA launches ‘Fentanyl Free America’ campaign

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - Agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration Atlanta Division visited Savannah Tuesday to announce a new campaign to target the use of the deadly drug fentanyl.

Law enforcement says the deadly synthetic opioid drug is the number one driver of overdose deaths and crime in the U.S. That’s why the agency is launching a new campaign that centers around education and discouraging fentanyl use. The campaign is called “Fentanyl Free America.”

The DEA says just two milligrams of fentanyl is deadly. That’s dangerous because the DEA says fentanyl can be manufactured in drug labs and then mixed with other drugs and pills with little oversight.

“If you are getting a pill off the street or you are getting a pill off the internet that didn’t come from a pharmacy or doctor, you are playing with your life,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Atlanta Division Michael Mayer.

Currently, the DEA says three out of every 10 pills they seize and test contain more than two milligrams of fentanyl. According to the DEA, Atlanta is a regional hub or base operations for drug traffickers, because there is access to a large airport and several major interstates.

“The hub is Atlanta,” said Mayer. “The spokes are Savannah, Macon and other cities in south Georgia. They are a little bit down stream, but they still get significant quantities of fentanyl which drive the street crime and quality of life issues down here.“

Assistant Special Agent in Charge Mayer says everyone needs to have a tough conversation with loved ones about drug use because they fentanyl is manufactured to kill you.

“They need to have a real conversation with their loved ones at the dinner table,” said Mayer. “Tell your mothers, fathers, niece and nephew and the young people in your life.”