Keep the Party Safe is a campaign across Colorado that is focused on making people aware of the drug culture surrounding the state. The program also gives information to keep people safe.
“We created Keep The Party Safe to educate people about the dangers of fentanyl and give them the tools to stay out of harm’s way–especially at parties where fentanyl could show up. We also help educate people on what to do if something happens to one of their friends. I encourage everyone to share this information with their friends and visit our website – keepthepartysafe.org – for a checklist of things to do before a night out,” Dr. Robert Valuck, Executive Director of Colo. Consortium for Prescription Drug Abuse; Professor at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences said.
According to the Keep the Party Safe website, the opioid known as fentanyl is 50 times stronger than heroin and more likely to be deadly. Many drugs such as molly, marijuana, lean (cough syrup) and even alcohol handed out at parties can contain fentanyl unknown to users and cause overdoses. To prevent these tragedies, Valuck recommends always having naloxone, a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. This medication can be found at many pharmacies at low costs and will help save a life. Some organizations hand both out for free in order to help prevent overdoses.
The website for the campaign also tells people to have a designated non-user that will be able to administer medicine and watch over users during a party. Further, bringing test strips that can detect fentanyl in a substance can stop someone from accidentally taking the drug.
“As soon as you spot an overdose, call 911 and use naloxone. Fentanyl overdoses are incredibly fast, and there’s no harm in using naloxone. Better safe than sorry,” the website states.
For those scared to use 911 as a resource in an overdose situation, there is a Good Samaritan Law that forbids criminal prosecution of the caller and user if the police are called to a scene. A dispatcher will also be able to walk the caller through steps that can save a user’s life.
According to the Grand Junction Police Department, there have been 12 deaths attributed to fentanyl this year alone. “Rainbow Fentanyl”, a new candy-looking drug, is also being pushed throughout the city and officials have been warning people to look into what they are taking before doing so.
There were 912 fentanyl deaths overall in 2021 in Colo. Organizations like Keep the Party Safe have been working to provide resources to prevent deaths and help users combat addiction.
They planned an anti-fentanyl campain for Halloween, warning “Fentanyl’s trick is that it looks like a treat.”
Keep an eye out for thier next campaign on the dangers of fentanyl.
