Tackling Fentanyl Awareness in the Classroom: My Journey

Fentanyl: a word we’ve all heard. Whether it’s through stories on the news, local community conversations, or general warnings, it has taken over the illicit drug market with its lethal effects. According to the CDC, from 2019 to 2021, 65% of youth who died from an overdose had no documented history of opioid use, with many of these overdoses caused by unknown fentanyl poisoning.

I first learned about fentanyl through the story of a local high school student in my county who was unintentionally poisoned by a pill he thought was Percocet. His family made it a driving goal to further advocacy and awareness after his passing, and hearing about their efforts inspired me to begin researching. What was this weirdly named drug? Why had I never heard of it before in school? And most of all, why did it feel like no one in my community was doing anything about it? Trying to find the answers to these questions ignited a passion and began my journey in advocacy. My name is Sarah Nadeem, and fentanyl awareness is what led me to becoming a SADD leader on both the local and national levels.

During my sophomore year, I created an online initiative called YouthFentAware. My main goal was to make fentanyl awareness more digestible and accessible to Gen Z through social media. I created infographics, posters, and interviewed families to share their stories. I took statistical data and transformed it into something eye-catching rather than outdated. Interviewing families brought the issue from far-away statistics to real individuals in real communities—the lethal impacts of fentanyl aren’t just numbers; they’re lives and families.

Creating this initiative was my first step, but I knew there was so much more to do. That’s when I started a SADD chapter at my high school and became a co-representative for my state, Virginia, on the National SLC. We began holding meetings focused on substance use awareness, fentanyl education, mental health advocacy, and traffic safety. I started with the intention of focusing only on fentanyl prevention, but the experience taught me so much more and expanded my passion for peer advocacy.

Through discussions in meetings, I noticed that most of my peers knew little to nothing about fentanyl—and honestly, I wouldn’t have either if I hadn’t done my own research. It shouldn’t have to be that way. I began questioning the substance use prevention lessons we sat through in health classes that didn’t even touch on this growing issue affecting our community. At the beginning of my senior year, I launched both my AP Research project and my SADD personal project, inspired to take action.

I met biweekly with my school’s Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist (SAPS), and together we analyzed the current substance use prevention lessons and developed a new one. This updated lesson focused on the modern realities of the fentanyl and opioid epidemic and included more interactive elements to better engage students. We made it visually appealing by incorporating current data, a video featuring a local family’s story, turn-and-talk discussions, and a “real vs. fake pill” activity. The original lessons lacked these components, and each addition played a role in creating a more effective learning experience.

An especially important topic we made sure to include was naloxone—how it works, where it’s available, and how to get trained. This not only helped students understand fentanyl and opioids, but also gave them actionable steps they could take. Providing resources for hotlines, therapy, naloxone training, and more helped empower students not just to learn, but to respond.

Once the lesson was finalized, the SAPS and I worked closely with our school’s 10th grade health teachers to pilot it in the classroom. Together, we delivered the lesson across seven class periods, reaching approximately 220 students. Teaching a student-created lesson as a peer helped bridge a long-standing gap, as many adolescents feel more comfortable engaging in these conversations with someone their age. Students actively participated by asking questions, engaging in discussions, and providing thoughtful feedback in the post-test.

As part of my research, it was important to measure the lesson’s effectiveness. I created a pre-test and post-test for students to complete before and after the lesson. The questions assessed understanding of opioids and fentanyl, overdose response, naloxone knowledge, and students’ confidence levels. This included their confidence in understanding fentanyl’s impact, knowing what to do in an overdose emergency, and feeling comfortable accessing resources or speaking to a trusted adult.

The results exceeded my expectations.

Every question showed a positive improvement in both knowledge and confidence. The most significant gains were in students’ understanding of naloxone, with a 51.8% increase in correct responses. Additionally, knowledge about fentanyl and its impacts increased by 43.1%. Open-ended feedback revealed that students especially valued the interactive elements, like the “real vs. fake pill” activity and the local family story video.

As a graduating senior, I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to expand my impact within my community over the past three years. I couldn’t have done it without the skills and support I gained through SADD. Looking back, this project started with questions—but it turned into something much bigger. If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that awareness alone isn’t enough unless it’s accessible, relevant, and actually reaches the people who need it most.

Students shouldn’t have to come across life-saving information through tragedy or independent research like I did. It should already be part of our classrooms, our conversations, and our communities.

That’s why days like National Fentanyl Awareness Day matter—but they shouldn’t be the only time we talk about this. Awareness needs to be ongoing, evolving, and driven by people who understand how to connect with their peers. My hope is that this work continues to grow beyond a single lesson, a single school, or a single day, and becomes part of a larger shift in how we educate and protect our generation.

Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about statistics—it’s about lives, and every single one is worth fighting for.

National Fentanyl Awareness Day is April 29th.