Voices for Awareness Facing Fentanyl 

Introduces

The Colorado Coalition for Families Affected by Fentanyl™

Advisory Board

Jaime Puerta
Daniel’s Dad

Coco Peterson
Kristin’s Sister

Aretta Gutierrez
Brianna’s Mom

missy - colorado coalition

Missy Duff
Michico Duff’s Mom

Have you lost someone you love to fentanyl poisoning, or do you just want to spread awareness about the dangers of fentanyl?

Please contact us, and we will get in touch with you soon!

Voices for Awareness

Voices For Awareness (VFA)Facing Fentanyl, based in Grand Junction, CO, is an organization bringing the dangers of illicit fentanyl to the public. VFA is launching a Colorado Coalition for Families Affected by Fentanyl (CFAF) to aid and support families affected by a fentanyl death.
 
Voices for Awareness and the CFAF will allow people to connect with others for support and stay current on fentanyl issues and advocacy opportunities in our State. VFA has formed a Fentanyl Family Advisory Board, including affiliates from across the country, to oversee the Colorado Coalition. VFA is inviting Colorado families that are affected by fentanyl to be a part of this coalition.
 
D’Ann Hopkins and Andrea Thomas co-founded Voices for Awareness after Thomas lost her 32-year-old daughter in 2018 to fentanyl poisoning. Thomas says, “We can’t bring our loved ones back, but we can warn other families and spare them from the devastation that fentanyl causes. Fentanyl-related deaths are escalating in Colorado, and we are asking Colorado-affected families to come
 together to be a voice in combatting this crisis.”
 
Through our work with affected families, we recognize that people often suffer in silence because of the stigma related to the drug death of their loved ones. Illicit fentanyl deaths are hard to prosecute, and families think there is no help for them. Grief hinders action, and people do not know where to reach out for support. Affected families want to share their stories or advocate to help others but do not know where to begin. The fallout from losing your child or loved one to fentanyl poisoning can be all-consuming. These issues and more have moved us to form a coalition for affected families to help them come together for support and guidance in their advocacy. We don’t have all the answers, but at Voices for Awareness, we believe that affected families’ involvement in local communities can save lives locally while we continue to work toward a federal government response to the illicit fentanyl crisis.
 
There are a variety of options for how you can take part in this Colorado Coalition for Families Affected by Fentanyl. VFA collaborates with Federal, State, and Local agencies and is actively involved in  proposed legislation, community support, and illicit fentanyl prevention and education. We firmly believe that each life is equally important, whether fentanyl poisoning happens to an unsuspecting victim or an active user. By affected families combining their lived experiences and resources, we can create effective networks. Our coalition is based in Colorado but all families are welcome. Ultimately we can make communities safer and save lives.
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Illicit fentanyl is responsible for killing over nine hundred (900) Coloradans in 2021.

This number is expected to spike in 2022 to surpass previous years. Illegal Fentanyl seizures are up 50% from last year, just in the first six months of 2022. In a traffic stop in June 2022, the Colorado State Patrol seized 114 pounds of pure fentanyl powder at 1-70 near Georgetown, Colorado. That is enough fentanyl powder to kill 25 million people. As illicit fentanyl floods into Colorado and people continue to die, affected families are coming together to combat this crisis by warning the public, providing education, and teaching prevention.
 
Colorado is in the beginning stages of combatting illicit fentanyl in our State. In May of this year, Governor Polis signed a fentanyl reform law that will further progress in combatting illicit fentanyl in Colorado. The law goes into effect this month. Under the new law, charges can be assessed for anything over a single gram. Affected families played a significant role in the recent legislation. The recent recognition of the fentanyl crisis is a step forward. An all-hands-on-deck approach is needed to affect positive change and save lives. Fentanyl deaths are increasing in Colorado, and this is a situation that deserves immediate action. Fentanyl is prevalent in all Colorado communities. Affected families all over America have been a constant voice, warning others about illicit fentanyl and sudden death. During the recent legislative session, we saw a division of stakeholders. We must come together to further our progress. Law enforcement, government agencies, affected families, and harm reduction need to work together because we share the same goal of saving lives. There is no time for division when lives are at stake. This is a red, white, and blue issue and no one is immune. Voices for Awareness strongly feels that we must work toward a multi-pronged solution. Voices for Awareness is inviting all Colorado-affected families to join the Colorado Coalition for Families Affected by Fentanyl.
 
Voices for Awareness Foundation is also the founder of Facing Fentanyl National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on August 21. The National day brings affected families and Fentanyl Awareness Organizations together to spread prevention education across the United States.
Fentanyl-Family-inside-colorados-deadly-overdose-siege

Alliances

Solving the addiction crisis requires action from our nation’s families, the government and our health care system. Together, we’re creating a unified voice to more effectively prevent substance use and treat addiction.

DrugFree.org
Kloxxado

Kloxxado™ is a nasally-administered form of naloxone, trusted by healthcare providers for reversing the effects of opioid overdose as a bridge to emergency medical care.1

Since an opioid overdose can happen anywhere, Kloxxado™ is designed to be used by anyone, in any situation – with no medical training required beyond the Instructions for Use.1

kloxxado.com

The Colorado Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention coordinates Colorado’s response to the crisis of misuse and abuse of prescription medications such as opioids, stimulants, and sedatives.

Corxconsortium.org

We have met with students, school counselors, school boards, PTAs, Scout troops, DEA agents, prosecutors, every county sheriff in Southern California, State and Federal politicians, and many more people to share and learn what WE can do to help. 

anfhelp.org

Fentanyl is now the #1 cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45.

We can and must stop this — together.
Illicit fentanyl kills 187 Americans every single day – deaths are on the rise across the country.

Sign our petition if you want to stop this epidemic together!

familiesagainstfentanyl.org

VOID was formed to bring to the public’s attention, through education, awareness and legislative advocacy, the immediate danger of sudden death associated with the use of illicit drugs, in particular FENTANYL, and other emerging synthetic analogs. 

stopthevoid.org

FACING FENTANYL ™ is a not-for-profit assembly of grassroots illicit fentanyl awareness groups. We are affected families that have built organizations that address the impact of the deadly synthetic opioid fentanyl and the changing drug landscape.

facingfentanylnow.org

FACING FENTANYL
Together we are strong

Donate now
Learn how you can help
FacingFentanylNow.org

(970) 250-8449

andrea@voicesforawareness.com

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(970) 250-8449

andrea@voicesforawareness.com

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