Dunleavy names a fentanyl awareness day; Alaska recorded 339 overdose deaths last year

Gov. Mike Dunleavy proclaimed Aug. 21 Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day in Alaska.

The state recorded 339 overdose deaths in 2024, down 5 percent from 357 the year before, according to the Department of Health. Fentanyl was involved in about 73 percent of them. Between 2020 and 2024, Alaska recorded 1,047 overdose deaths involving opioids.

The proclamation calls fentanyl 50 times more potent than heroin, made legally for pharmaceutical use but frequently added to heroin, methamphetamine and cocaine. A trace the size of what fits on a pencil tip can be fatal, and people often take it without knowing. It urges reducing the stigma around substance use so people can reach prevention and treatment. "Overdose deaths are preventable if we act together," Dunleavy said.

The proclamation directs Alaskans who suspect drug trafficking to text an anonymous tip to the Alaska State Troopers, using the keyword AKTIPS followed by the tip, to 847411.

A state epidemiology bulletin found the Mat-Su had the highest rate of nonfatal opioid overdoses treated in emergency departments from 2019 through 2024, at 3.6 per 1,000 ED visits, with Anchorage at 3.3.

The Department of Health frames those deaths as preventable through treatment access, naloxone distribution and crisis support rather than enforcement alone.

Sandy Snodgrass, whose son Bruce died of fentanyl poisoning in 2021, told gubernatorial candidate Shelley Hughes in April that treatment alone cannot keep pace. "Fentanyl will kill you before you have a chance to recover," she said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, 988 is available by call or text.