GREAT FALLS — Fentanyl Awareness Day is observed annually on August 21, and Shawnee Lapier is using the occasion as an opportunity to educate the community - and honor a loved one that she lost.
Tim McGonigal reports - watch:
According to the advocacy group ‘Facing Fentanyl’, every five minutes someone in the United States loses their life to fentanyl poisoning.
In Great Falls, there are events to mark the day.
The Alliance for Youth will light the 10th Street Bridge in blue and Shawnee LaPier will host a fentanyl awareness rally at the Central Avenue Bridge beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Thursday.
Every picture on Shawnee’s memorial board of her late brother Nathenieal tells a story.
“He was an awesome brother. He loved his music,” said Shawnee. “He was happy and outgoing. He's got three children. He's a great father.”
Nathenieal also struggled with addiction.
“He was able to get off the meth and heroin for a while,” said Shawnee. “And once he got to fentanyl, it's just such a strong substance, he just couldn't get over withdrawals and just cut it.”
Ten days after getting out jail, on January 10th, 2024, Nathenieal died from a fentanyl overdose.
“He passed away at 27. He was definitely taken too soon from us,” said Shawnee.
Experts say education is more important than ever because traffickers are getting more sophisticated and savvy.
“Whether they're (kids) going out to party and have a good time, they can choose a substance and it can be laced with fentanyl,” said Shawnee. “Or you can be an active fentanyl user. They are lacing fentanyl with xylazinewhich is Narcan resistant. That's how my brother passed away.”
Xylazine is a power horse tranquilizer.
“Fentanyl gets combined with everything. Meth, cocaine, you name it,” said Beth Morrison, Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist and Program Manager for the Alliance for Youth.
Shawnee says fentanyl laced pills are also being peddled on snapchat and the drug has also been found in marijuana and vape pens.
Clad in a memorial t-shirt she made for family and friends, Shawnee keeps Nathenieal’s memory alive, offering hope to others by hosting a rally each year.
“I don't want my brother to be a statistic. I want him to be remembered for being a human being,” said Shawnee.
“These people are not statistics. They are people,” said Morrison. “They have a family that's left behind. They have grieving parents and siblings and friends, and they carry this with them.”
VIDEO FROM AUGUST 2024:
Beth got the bridge lighting idea at a conference where she saw a picture of the White House lit in blue for fentanyl awareness.
“I thought we have a bridge with pre-built blue lights, so this is an easy lift,” said Morrison.
Shawnee and Beth hope both events serve as a reminder that no one is immune to a deadly drug.
“It is here it is, in our communities. It is probably the most serious drug crisis we've had in our nation's history,” said Morrison.
“If you have children out there, educate them. If you know anybody that's an active user, be kind, be patient. And don't give up on them,” said Shawnee.
The US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) notes that August 21st is "National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day." The purpose of the designation is to:
- Remember loved ones lost to overdoses involving illegally made fentanyl.
- Acknowledge the devastation of affected families and friends.
- Acknowledge the growing role illegally made fentanyl plays in the overdose crisis.
- Educate and raise public awareness of the dangers of illegally made fentanyl and the importance of overdose prevention.
Fentanyl-linked deaths continue to rise in Montana, with the State Crime Lab reporting 80 overdose deaths involving fentanyl in 2023 alone, and the Drug Enforcement Agency’s Rocky Mountain Field Division reports Montana has experienced a staggering 11,000% increase in fentanyl seizures since 2019.
In a statement released by the the Drug Enforcement Administration Rocky Mountain Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Pullen said, “We urge you to have the fentanyl discussion within your own family, circle of friends, and co-workers. Fentanyl remains the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 to 45”.
