South Dakota
LIVE: South Dakota families speak out on National Fentanyl Awareness Day
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – May 7th is National Fentanyl Awareness Day, and members of Emily’s Hope shared how the illegally manufactured drug has impacted them.
Emily’s Hope was founded by Angela Kennecke in memory of her daughter, Emily, who died of an accidental fentanyl overdose in 2018. Since then, Kennecke has been able to build a community through Emily’s Hope to combat the fentanyl crisis.
According to Emily’s Hope, the overdose death rate topped 112,000 in a 12-month period for the first in 2023. Fentanyl usage has also increased in the Sioux Falls area, according to the most recent crime stats report from the Sioux Falls Police Department.
At a press conference Tuesday morning, the Orr family of Vermillion shared their story of losing their 15-year-old daughter to counterfeit pills containing fentanyl in December.
Members of Emily’s Hope also distributed free fentanyl testing strips.
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