Posts call attention to overdose deaths on National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day
A Colorado judge overturned a city ban on the distribution of sterile syringes.
A Colorado judge overturned a city ban on the distribution of sterile syringes.
This past week, news articles and social media posts about National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day drove the largest spike in conversation about opioids. In other discussions, Facebook users responded to news that a Pueblo, Colorado, judge overturned a citywide ban on services programs providing sterile s, with many promoting false claims about SSPs’ outcomes.
These conversations allow public health communicators to recirculate information about fentanyl and overdose prevention, especially with International Overdose Awareness Day coming on August 31. Communicators may also want to debunk false claims about SSPs and explain their benefits.
Insights brought to you by the reporters and science writers of Public Good News (PGN), a nonprofit newsroom dedicated to improving community health.
What’s trending nationally in conversations about opioids
On August 21, many news articles and social media posts honored National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. On X and Facebook, politicians, local governments, and nonprofits shared educational content about the dangers of fentanyl and raised awareness about overdose prevention.
On August 22, a Pueblo, Colorado, judge overturned an ordinance that had prevented SSPs from distributing sterile needles in the city. The ordinance was passed in May 2024 due to concerns about needle litter and misconceptions of “enabling” drug use. In June, the ACLU of Colorado sued the city on behalf of SSPs, and this lawsuit ended the ordinance. Within a day, news articles covered the ruling, and those articles were shared on multiple social media platforms—primarily Facebook, with most comments falsely claiming that SSPs make communities unsafe.
Recommendations brought to you by the health communication experts behind Infodemiology.com.
Recommendations for public health professionals
Each week, the Infodemiology.com team will provide messaging recommendations in response to some of the trending narratives outlined above. These helpful tips can be used when creating content, updating web and FAQ pages, and developing strategy for messaging about mental health.
Conversations about fentanyl give communicators an opportunity to explain the risks associated with the drug. Emphasizing that fentanyl is a potent opioid that increases the risk of overdose and is involved in most U.S. overdose deaths is recommended. Communicators may also recirculate information about where people can access fentanyl test strips—if they’re legal in your state—and naloxone. Resharing materials outlining the signs of an opioid overdose and explaining how to use naloxone to reverse an opioid overdose is recommended.
In response to concerns about SSPs, communicators may explain what SSPs do and debunk common false claims. Messaging may emphasize that SSPs provide a wide range of services like HIV and hepatitis testing, vaccinations, referrals to care, and sterile s. These services reduce the spread of infectious diseases and prevent overdose deaths. Nearly 30 years of research show that SSPs do not increase drug use or crime in the communities they serve.