DEA’s 2023 National Family Summit on Fentanyl

Last Updated: Thursday October 26, 2023

DEA Family Summit on the Overdose Epidemic

Last summer, DEA convened its inaugural National Family Summit on the Overdose Epidemic where invited attendees convened to advance public awareness efforts in communities to reverse the overdose and poisoning epidemic and save lives from tragic drug overdose and poisoning deaths. Since the inaugural Family Summit, DEA and its growing network of community organizations and grieving parents have been working together throughout the United States on outreach, prevention and education efforts to address fentanyl poisonings. As a result of this amazing work, DEA hosted the 2nd National Family Summit on Fentanyl at the end of September 2023.

During the day, families and family-led nonprofit organizations joined with DEA, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Office of National Drug Control and Policy and the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas to discuss the scope of current drug threats, learn how we can further amplify community prevention efforts together, and identify additional areas for future collaboration. The Summit also offered various opportunities for families to share their stories and explore awareness and prevention resources offered by DEA and others.

Message from DEA Administrator Anne Milgram

Welcome to DEA’s 2nd Annual National Family Summit on Fentanyl. Drug poisoning deaths are killing Americans at a catastrophic and unprecedented rate. Last year, 110,757 lives were lost to a drug poisoning, with fentanyl and methamphetamine driving this record increase.

Fentanyl and methamphetamine are more accessible and more widely available than ever before; anyone with a smart phone is a target of the drug cartels.

DEA will stop at nothing to defeat the drug trafficking organizations flooding America with these poisons, the Sinaloa and Jalisco (CJNG) cartels.

We also know that we must all work together to save lives and stop fentanyl. This crisis will take all of us working together to solve.

This two-day event aims to create a dialogue to effect change through enforcement, awareness, and prevention education.

Please accept our deepest thanks for all that you do each day in your communities. We are inspired by how you have turned grief and pain into action, working tirelessly to prevent other families from suffering the unimaginable loss of a loved one to a drug poisoning. Together, we will succeed: We will continue to save lives, raise awareness, make our communities safer and healthier, and work to reverse this devastating poisoning epidemic.

2023 National Family Summit Select Photos

To view the entire 2023 National Family Summit photo album, click here.

Agenda

Please click here to view the Summit agenda

Presentations

"The Overdose Response Strategy" Presentation by Sarah Ali and Chris Jakim, HIDTA-CDC Foundation: Overdose Response Strategy
Click here to download the slides from this presentation

'Different Pathways: Working Together to Find Common Ground' Presentation by Denise Mariano, Song for Charlie; Tonia Ahearn, National Center for Advocacy and Recovery (NCAAR)
Click here to download the slides from this presentation

Advocacy Breakout Session Presentation by Dave Bleich, DEA; Kevin Meara, City of Angels NJ; Sandy Snodgrass, AK Fentanyl Response and Bruce's Law
Click here to download the slides from this session
Youth Engagement Breakout Session Presentation by Chelsea Curtis, U.S. Attorney's Office and Silent No More; Jill Cichowicz, 2EndTheStigma; Kamaya Duff, It's Bigger Than Me Michiko's Voice
Click here to download the slides from this session
Community Engagement Breakout Session Presentation by Helen Hernandez, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP); Kathy O'Keefe, Winning the Fight; Amy Neville, Alexander Neville Foundation
Click here to download the slides from this session

Breakout Sessions Notes

Advocacy Breakout Session by Dave Bleich, DEA; Kevin Meara, City of Angels NJ; Sandy Snodgrass, AK Fentanyl Response and Bruce's Law
Click here to download the notes from this session
Youth Engagement Breakout Session by Chelsea Curtis, U.S. Attorney's Office and Silent No More; Jill Cichowicz, 2EndTheStigma; Sonovah Hillman, Jr., Youth Advocate
Click here to download the notes from this session
Media Engagement Breakout Session by Amanda Wozniak, DEA; Brian McNeal, DEA; Daniela Sinner, DEA; Rebecca Kiessling, Attorney; Andrea Thomas, Voices for Awareness and Facing Fentanyl
Click here to download the notes from this session
Community Engagement Breakout Session by Helen Hernandez, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP); Kathy O'Keefe, Winning the Fight; Amy Neville, Alexander Neville Foundation
Click here to download the notes from this session

Get in Touch with Your Closest DEA Field Office

Click here to download a list of the DEA Community Outreach Specialists by State

Get in Touch with Your State Government’s Prevention Point of Contact

Click here to download a list of the National Prevention Network by State. These are the individuals who work at the state level on drug use prevention and federal grants going to your state

Get Copies of Materials from the Summit Resource Table

Click here to access digital copies of the DEA drug awareness and education materials that were on the resource table at the Summit

Participant List

Please click here to view participant list

Need to update your contact information with us?

Please use the form below to update your organization's contact information.
Please use the following template and email us at familyoutreach@dea.gov