Fast Facts

• Fentanyl is a tasteless and odorless synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

• Only two salt-sized grains of fentanyl may cause an opioid overdose.

• Street drugs can be laced with fentanyl without the user's knowledge. These may include:

  • Marijuana

  • Vaping e-liquids

  • Fake pills

  • Cocaine

• Since fentanyl is randomly distributed in laced substances, one "dose" may have a fatal amount when another does not.

• If medication has not been prescribed to you, it runs the risk of being laced.

• Looks are deceiving -- fake pills look real. Only take medication prescribed by a doctor or purchased at a pharmacy. It may only take a small amount of fentanyl to cause an opioid overdose.

Learn more about fentanyl and help spread the word by sharing these flyers:

• For youth: Facts about fentanyl
• For adults: Facts about fentanyl

On May 4, 2022, City of Alexandria officials warned the community about a recent spike in suspected fentanyl-related overdoses, especially in school-aged youth who report using a “little blue pill” they believed was Percocet. Illicit drugs are often laced with fentanyl, an inexpensive substitute that is up to 100 times more potent than morphine and can be deadly.

Here are some key facts to share to raise awareness about this topic in our community: 

• Kids as young as 14 are crushing and smoking little blue pills they think are Percocet
• Six youth from Alexandria have recently overdosed requiring medical intervention
• Two youth died in Prince William County
• The pills may be laced with fentanyl, a synthetic opioid 100 times more potent than morphine
• Parents can get free Narcan and Fentanyl test strips – just email opioids@alexandriava.gov or call 703.746.3326; if given in time, Narcan, can save the life of someone who is overdosing from opioids; fentanyl test strips detect the presence of fentanyl in unregulated injectable drugs, powders and pills
• For reliable info: the DEA has a great campaign, One Pill Can Kill, https://www.dea.gov/onepill and the City’s Opioid Work Group website, https://www.alexandriava.gov/Opioids
• Parents - have conversations with your kids about this
• Youth – let your friends and family know about the danger
• For confidential questions, concerns, or education reach out to opioids@alexandriava.gov or 703.746.3326
• To share information regarding the illegal sale of opioids or other drugs, call the Alexandria Police Department at 703.746.6277
• For life-threatening situations, call 9-1-1 immediately

Learn more facts about prescription and over-the-counter medication here.

Check out SAPCA's August 2022 newsletter to learn about our recent activities.

Learn facts about alcohol, marijuana, e-cigarettes and prescription and over-the-counter medication.

Looking for resources for practicing self-care, building resilience, and managing wellness? Click here.

Explore tips for communicating with teens . This resource is also available in Spanish .

The Partnership to End Addiction recently launched Raising Resilient Kids, an initiative to help families raise supported and healthy children. This launch included the introduction of A Parent’s Guide to Raising Resilient Kids, a resource that highlights 10 key protective parenting strategies that research has shown can promote resilience in your children. Some of these strategies may seem like simple, common-sense practices, like sharing your expectations and encouraging healthy risk-taking, but applying them effectively and over time takes a lot of dedication, time, patience, and drive. Click here to download A Parent’s Guide to Raising Resilient Kids. To learn more about the Partnership to End Addiction, click here.

SAPCA is an alliance of parents, youth, schools, city health and recreation agencies, media, nonprofits, businesses, policymakers and law enforcement.

Our mission is to engage diverse sectors of the community in collaborative, cross-cultural and comprehensive substance abuse prevention efforts that result in a reduction of underage substance use and abuse in the City of Alexandria.

SAPCA is a member of the  Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) , the nation’s leading drug abuse prevention organization. CADCA represents the interests of more than 5,000 community anti-drug coalitions and comprises members from every U.S. state and territory. 

SAPCA uses a variety of community-wide strategies to accomplish our goals, which are outlined in our action plan. Each of these strategies represents a key element in building and maintaining a healthy community.

Officers

• Allen Lomax, Chair, independent consultant

• Kimberly Hyde Santucci, Vice-Chair, parent

• Quameer Reddick-Parker, Treasurer, community member 

Board of Directors

• Tom Gates, Deputy Executive Director of Operations and Programs for the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) 

• Kate Harbour, youth member

• Captain Monica Lisle, Alexandria Police Department

• Fredy Martinez, Alexandria City Public Schools

• Shirlen Rac Carpio, youth member

Staff

• Emma Beall, SAPCA Coordinator

• April Pavis-Shroeder, STOP Act Grant Coordinator

SAPCA By-Laws 

Want to donate to SAPCA?  We welcome your involvement and support. 

Donations via credit card can be submitted here.

Donations in the form of a check can be made out to the City of Alexandria with "SAPCA" written in the memo line. Checks should be mailed to the following address:
Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria
C/O Emma Beall
123 N. Pitt Street, Suite 225
Alexandria, VA 22314

SAPCA encourages families to talk with children and teens about substance use and misuse. Check out these ideas for starting - or continuing - the conversation:

1. Make your values clear about substance use - particularly underage use of substances - with children and teens. 

2. Have a conversation about family rules and consequences. Topics to discuss together could include:

   • What is a realistic curfew for week nights? Is curfew different on weekends?
   • What are some of the potential consequences of arriving home past curfew? How might these consequences change if communication takes place to explain a delay?
3. Talk about the health, legal and social consequences of using substances like  alcohol,  marijuana, and  e-cigarettes and misusing prescription and over-the-counter medication. 
4.  Know the legal consequences related to underage use of these substances. It is illegal for anyone under 21 to use, purchase or possess alcohol, marijuana or tobacco products. It is also illegal for anyone over 21 to provide alcohol, marijuana or tobacco  products to persons under 21.

• Family dinner tool kit
• Family conversation starters

Interested in volunteering with SAPCA? Contact Emma Beall at  emma.beall@alexandriava.gov if you would like to volunteer.

If you would like additional information or are interested in getting involved with the Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria or one if its initiatives, please contact:

Emma Beall 
Coordinator, Substance Abuse Prevention Coalition of Alexandria
Emma.beall@alexandriava.gov
703.746.3670