The Foundation for a Drug-Free World Educated Police Authorities on what to watch for in handling drug issues.

Washington, DC, USA - October 31, 2024 —

Members of the District of Columbia Housing Authority Police Department (DCHAPD) were trained on the dangers of fentanyl and other opioids, where they are being procured, and what can be done to help the community prevent deaths from overdoses.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World provides free materials to assist community groups, police, and others in educating about certain drugs and their dangers. To further this program, the Foundation held a detailed briefing to police trainees on what to look for and how to talk to community members about these dangers. The trainees were taught what the pills often look like as well as what the symptoms are and when to call 911 or take other action to help those suffering from an overdose.

Thalia Ghiglia, of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s DC chapter, stressed the need for education to the public housing police. She said, “Accurate and factual drug education on a grassroots level is the undercut to all of our drug abuse issues. I urge everyone to get educated and to pass important information on. What could be more important than protecting all citizens from the harmful effects of drugs? We need to educate youth and families to protect themselves from drugs and the crime that is inevitably connected with drug abuse.”

Drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023 topped 110,000. So far this year that has a declined by 10%. More than 75% of these deaths are from opioids, with the vast majority of these having fentanyl as part or all of the pills that kill. Fentanyl is a fully lab-made opioid which is often put into pill form and sold online or on the streets disguised as a legitimate painkiller.

Earlier this month the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) warned about illegal online pharmacies selling and shipping counterfeit pills made with fentanyl to unsuspecting customers in the United States who believe they are purchasing real pharmaceutical drugs such as Oxycodone, Adderall, Xanax, and other drugs from legitimate pharmacies. According to the DEA, often foreign-based websites are targeting American consumers with false drugs. This is the source of many of the fentanyl overdoses which continue to plague Americans.

Public housing has often been an area where drug overdoses occur due to hopelessness, poverty, and crime. Thus, the public housing police were trained on warning residents not to order online pills or buy them on the street but to only get them through licensed pharmacies.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World has worked with police officials, court services agencies, behavioral health agencies, and other drug prevention groups to bring attention to the dangers of synthetic opioids, particularly fentanyl, which carries a very strong possibility of overdose and death.

The Foundation for a Drug-Free World offers free booklets and a free documentary featuring interviews with former drug users telling the truth about their experiences with various drugs.

Photo credit: Drug Enforcement Agency

About the company: The Foundation for a Drug-Free World’s Truth About Drugs program is one of the world’s largest non-governmental drug education and prevention campaigns. Evidence-based studies have shown that when young people are provided with true information about drugs, usage rates drop.

Contact Info:
Name: Thalia Ghiglia
Email: Send Email
Organization: Drug-Free World
Address: 1701 20th St NW Washington, DC
Website: http://www.drugfreeworld.org

Video URL: https://www.drugfreeworld.org/videos/documentary/introduction.html

Release ID: 89144980

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