Fentanyl awareness day shows parents making it their mission to end overdose deaths | News

TUCSON, Ariz. (KVOA) — April 29, 2025 marked National Fentanyl Awareness Day, a day that reveals the lives lost but also the parents trying to end this epidemic. 

“My son died from using cocaine that had fentanyl in it. There was enough fentanyl in that drug to kill three healthy people,” said Theresa Guerrero, a Tucson resident.

“I had lost my 26 year old daughter coming up four years now to fentanyl poisoning,” said Josephine Dunn, a Prescott resident.

These two mothers have an unfortunately share something in common, they say both their children died from a fentanyl overdose not knowing the drugs they used were laced with it.

These grieving moms now making it a mission to raise awareness of this issue.

“As of January first of this year I’m completely retired from working so that I can dedicate my life to fighting this poison,” Dunn said.

For example Dunn helped pass a law in Arizona named after her daughter.

“It’s called the Ashley Dunn act that was passed last year (2024),” Dunn said.

The law punishes fentanyl dealers, offenders who are convicted with more than 200 grams of the drug will face five-to-10 year sentences, while repeat offenders are looking at sentences of 10-to-20 years.

“Education is key,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero has been on the fight to stop these fentanyl overdose deaths ever since her son Jacob died in 2020.

One of the ways to prevent a death Guerrero says is Narcan.

“Narcan can save anybody that is overdosing on an opioid,” Guerrero said.

Both mothers agree more of it should be widely accessible in schools or even in people’s medicine cabinets.

Guerrero wants the public to know there are things they can do to raise awareness on fentanyl too.

“Spreading the word getting involved with your legislature, talking with your politicians know more needs to be done,” Guerrero said.

There will be a rally about this topic in Tucson this Saturday starting in front of Pima County Superior Court at 9 a.m.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration says for the first time since 2018, the United States has seen a decrease in drug overdose deaths and poisonings, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noting a 14.5 percent decrease in deaths between June 2023 and June 2024. More than 107,000 people lost their lives to a drug overdose in 2023, with nearly 70 percent of those deaths attributed to opioids such as fentanyl. 

Dunn believes the decline is due to education from grassroot groups like hers.