Arizona’s fentanyl overdose statistics are alarming; free Narcan training can help

Dr. Vanna Campion

Submitted photo/Terros Health

Even in non-fatal opioid overdose events, fentanyl is the source, with men between the ages of 25 and 44 at greatest risk.”

Learn More

To schedule a free training on how to reverse the effects of fentanyl and prescription opioid medications and to receive a free Narcan kit, call Terros Health at 602-216-7088 or email narcan@terroshealth.org. For more information and resources in Maricopa and Pima counties, visit maricopa.gov/5981/focus-on-fentanyl or pima.gov/opioid-response-0.

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OPINION — While deaths from drug overdoses across the United States declined during each of the last three years, they have surged in Arizona.

From September 2024 to September 2025, our state recorded a 17% increase in overdose deaths — twice the national average — according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s an alarming trend.

As part of National Red Ribbon Week, Oct. 23-31, healthcare professionals across the state are reminding children, teens and communities of the dangers of illegal drugs and alcohol, along with prescription drug misuse.

The main culprits are prescription opioids and illegal opioids like counterfeit pills with fentanyl, which, on average, are killing five Arizonans each day, based on tracking by the Arizona Department of Health Services. In 2025 alone, fentanyl overdose deaths in the state increased by an astounding 30% while falling 31% in the U.S.

Several factors are contributing to the problem. Among these is potency. Just a few grains of fentanyl can kill an adult male.

Another issue is the rise of counterfeit pills. In some cases, fentanyl is pressed into pills disguised as prescription medications. In others, this deadly substance is mixed with other illicit street or prescription drugs unbeknownst to the user until it is too late.

Local market availability and proximity to the border make Arizona a hub for fentanyl and methamphetamine distribution.

But perhaps the biggest culprit is the shift from fentanyl pills to powder. When combined with Arizona’s heat, meth and homelessness, powdered fentanyl is having devastating consequences.

Even in non-fatal opioid overdose events, fentanyl is the source, with men between the ages of 25 and 44 at greatest risk.

While it may come as a surprise to some, fentanyl and other substance use overdoses can happen anywhere — from home and the mall to parties and the workplace. Such incidents are happening too frequently, despite initiatives like the Arizona Opioid Epidemic Act, which provides funding for treatment, improves oversight and enforcement tools, and extends resources to law enforcement, first responders and community partners.

Fortunately, a potentially lifesaving medication called Narcan is helping to reduce the deadly effects of heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications.

In 2021, Terros Health created the state’s most comprehensive Narcan education and training program to teach people how to reverse the effects of fentanyl and prescription opioid medications in minutes.

Since the program’s inception, more than 22,000 Arizonans have completed the free training and Terros Health has distributed more than 30,000 Narcan samples funded by the state government and the Arizona Alliance for Community Health Centers.

While Narcan training isn’t the only solution to this emerging crisis, it is a proven way to recognize a potential overdose and save lives.

Free training for sports teams, school districts, companies, nonprofit organizations and a host of other groups are an important line of defense in combating the fentanyl crisis and the larger drug epidemic.

Dr. Vanna Campion is chief medical officer of Terros Health, a Phoenix-based nonprofit healthcare provider serving Arizonans with physical and mental health challenges for nearly 60 years. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to azopinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines.