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Las Vegas police launch campaign on fentanyl dangers following overdose spike

fentanyl
LVMPD

Las Vegas police launched a campaign on the dangers of fentanyl following a spike in overdoses in Southern Nevada.

Police said Clark County experienced a 196% jump in fentanyl-related overdoses from 2019 to 2020. Narcotics detectives said they've seen an increase in middle school students trying pills.

Between 2020 and 2021, 16 kids under age 18 died of a fentanyl overdose. "Detectives say many of the victims had no idea what was in the pills they took," police said in a news release.

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Parents were encouraged to talk to their kids about taking pills that were not prescribed to them by a doctor.

Police released three videos on fentanyl:

Kristen DeSilva (she/her) is the audience engagement specialist for Nevada Public Radio. She curates and creates content for knpr.org, our weekly newsletter and social media for Nevada Public Radio and Desert Companion.