Sedgwick County Partners Kick Off
“One Pill Can Kill” Fentanyl Awareness Campaign

 

Today Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeff Easter, Interim Wichita Police Chief Lemuel Moore and several community partners launched a fentanyl awareness campaign called “One Pill Can Kill” to warn of the drug’s lethal potency.

In the last few years, the number of fentanyl overdose deaths in Sedgwick County has multiplied, from 98 in 2018 to 242 in 2021. This year, Sheriff Easter said Sedgwick County is on track to exceed 300 deaths from fentanyl.

To fight back, local law enforcement and first responders joined together with community partners today in a show of solidarity at The Phoenix Wichita, a gym for recovering addicts, at 145 N. Wabash.

“Recovery is possible,” said Sheriff Jeff Easter, “and that is the message today. But first, people have to know the danger. So many drugs are now laced with fentanyl, some people don’t even know what they’re taking before it’s too late.”

Fentanyl is an opioid that is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl can kill a person, yet fentanyl is often disguised to look like prescription pills.

The family of 19-year-old Keith McCullough Junior believes a fake pill laced with fentanyl killed him on March 30. His mother spoke at the news conference and described finding her son dead in his bedroom at home.

“Our son thought he was taking half a Percocet,” said Christie McCullough. “He had taken half the day before, but that last half was where the lethal amount of fentanyl was.”

To educate other teens and their parents, the fentanyl awareness campaign released several short videos that describe the dangers of fentanyl, secret emoji codes used in drug trafficking, how to spot the signs of addiction and overdose and what you can do to help. Students, parents and school officials are encouraged to watch the videos and share the QR code on their own social media pages.

The campaign also provided resources and information from these community partners helping to fight fentanyl:

  • The Wichita Metro Crime Commission
  • The Substance Abuse Center of Kansas
  • Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition
  • Youth Educational Empowerment Program
  • The Phoenix Wichita

For more information on fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, visit Sedgwick County’s Drug Misuse website at www.sedgwickcounty.org/drugmisuse.

 

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