There is nothing safe about drugs.

“No Safe Experience” is the message of a new public awareness campaign by the New Hampshire Department of Safety whose goal is to inform youth, young adults, and families of the dangers and prevalence of fentanyl in counterfeit pills and illicit drugs.

“The bottom line is that fentanyl is now in all different types of substances, whether that be cocaine, methamphetamine, fake pills, or vape cartridges – assume it is in anything and everything,” Gov. Chris Sununu said during an announcement about the program on Thursday. “There is no safe experience with substances, unless they are prescribed by a provider, and taken only as directed by the person they are prescribed to. Our campaign will be laser focused on this critical message to help save lives.”

The dosage of fentanyl has increased to six out of every 10 fake prescription pills potentially having a lethal amount from four out of 10 in 2021, according to DEA lab results. They look identical to real prescription medications including OxyContin, Percocet, Xanax, and Adderall, but only contain filler and fentanyl, and are often deadly.

“Fentanyl is 50 times more powerful than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine and a two-milligram dose is enough to be lethal,” State Police Col. Nathan Noyes said during the event. "The intentional and accidental mixing of fentanyl is also becoming more commonly discovered in cocaine, marijuana, and even made to look like candy. That’s why there is no safe experience when it comes to experimenting with drugs or taking something that is not prescribed to you.”

The New Hampshire Department of Safety will utiitze video, public service announcements, social media, and billboards to get out its message.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNH

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