LA: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Shares Efforts to Raise Awareness About Fentanyl and Opioid Use

May 7 is National Fentanyl Awareness Day

BATON ROUGE, La. – To mark National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 7, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana is sharing resources that bring awareness to substance use disorders and fentanyl poisonings.

One year ago, Blue Cross released a free series of educational videos to raise understanding of the often-hidden dangers of illicit fentanyl. As of April 30, the videos have more than 225,000 total views on YouTube.

The “Fentanyl Kills” series is available at bcbsla.com/toorisky. The videos have had strong engagement from schools, churches, healthcare and law enforcement personnel and other community organizations looking for resources to talk about the risks. Fentanyl-related overdose deaths have increased nationally and in Louisiana in recent years.

Two videos tell the stories of Baton Rouge area residents who died after overdosing on drugs laced with fentanyl. Fentanyl is a strong synthetic painkiller as much as 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Victoria’s and Alex’s journeys with drugs are told through powerful interviews with family members.

“It may not make sense to anyone except those going through it, but it brings me so much comfort when I can help someone else’s family through this nightmare,” said Marilyn McCulley, Victoria’s mother. “Since the video, so many people have felt comfortable reaching out. One woman told me her child turned around their life and Victoria’s story was part of that. It’s bittersweet as a mom who has lost her child to addiction to know you are longing for something that will never happen with yours, but it is so rewarding to know that you can help other people.”

The third video describes the hidden dangers of opioids. In 2023, 112,000 people died in the United States from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fentanyl cannot be seen or smelled and may be found in non-opioid illicit drugs like marijuana or cocaine.

Blue Cross’ mission is to improve the health and lives of Louisianians, and team members from Fraud and Financial Investigations, Pharmacy, Community Relations, Sales and Marketing and other areas have led outreach to get these resources to more families and communities. They encourage schools, youth groups, community organizations, workplaces, parents, teachers, leaders and others to watch and share these videos.

“The fentanyl and opioid crisis is not theoretical,” said Kandyce Cowart, Blue Cross Special Investigations manager. “It’s not abstract. It is happening to young people and old people and everyone in between. And it’s happening now. I’m proud to be part of an organization that takes its mission to improve the health and lives of Louisianians so seriously.”

Posters
Blue Cross has released a series of Fentanyl Kills posters that are free to the public to download and print. Click the images below to download a high-resolution version of each. Find them at bcbsla.com/TooRisky.

Community events
This year, Blue Cross began working with faith-based organizations to host community outreach events. The first two were held at churches in Central, La., with the Central Police Department. A third is planned for Baton Rouge later this year. We invite Louisiana churches and community groups to reach out if their leaders would like to host similar events. Please email Strategic.Communications@bcbsla.com to inquire.

Spanish-Language Efforts
In March 2024, Blue Cross premiered the videos dubbed into Spanish. Find the Spanish “Fentanyl Kills” videos at es.bcbsla.com/demasiadoriesgo. Learn more about the dangers and stigmas of drug abuse, along with resources to help, in this episode of Conversando Francamente, which aired on Telemundo on March 9, 2024. Conversando Francamente is a series of Spanish videos produced in collaboration with Ochsner Health to inform and educate the public about health and healthcare.

Dougie the Drug Dog^® Coloring Books

Created by the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators (NADDI), Dougie the Drug Dog^® Educational Coloring and Activity Book is based on a real drug-dog from Ohio. Blue Cross is printing more than 50,000 copies of the coloring books and distributing them to partners including the East Baton Rouge Library, East Baton Rouge Parish School System, Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, YMCA of the Capital Area and Acadian Ambulance.

Blue Cross has worked with NADDI for many years. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana Foundation provided a grant that placed more than 70 drug drop boxes in parishes across the state. Blue Cross Special Investigations Manager Cowart has been the president of the Louisiana Chapter of NADDI since its inception in 2006.

About Fentanyl Awareness Day
National Fentanyl Awareness Day is now in its third year. The day brings together individuals, parents, teacher, corporations, influencers, community groups and government entities to help put an end to fentanyl crisis. Learn more about Fentanyl Awareness Day at FentanylAwarenessDay.org.

Learn more about Blue Cross’s Fentanyl Kills series at bcbsla.com/TooRisky or in Spanish at es.bcbsla.com/demasiadoriesgo.

Hometown Productions produced a video news release about National Fentanyl Awareness Day.

Press Release