The Sparks City Attorney's Office is trying to spread the message about the dangers fentanyl presents to the community.
Sparks City Attorney Wes Duncan announced a new initiative called, "Shattered Lives: The Deadly Fallout of Fentanyl."
The public service announcement shares the risk of fentanyl and people's stories who have struggled with addiction.
They first showed the video at the 2024 Northern Nevada Opioid Youth Summit at the Grand Sierra Resort on Tuesday.
There are two versions of the PSA. The shorter, six-minute version focuses on the damages of the opioid.
There's a longer, 25-minute version that also highlights the redemptive arc of beating the addiction.
Duncan says they are seeing everything laced with fentanyl, from weed to harder drugs and he says this is a problem that needs to be addressed.
"There really are no recreational drugs anymore in our community because fentanyl is laced in so many drugs," he said.
Duncan says every time you do a drug, you're rolling the dice.
"I think a lot of people think 'well I'm never going to take fentanyl. 'Like I'm not going to seek fentanyl so I'm okay.' The problem is people are seeking other drugs and fentanyl is in being laced in those other drugs," he explained.
Duncan says they want to aim the campaign for pre-teens, teens, parents, and really for everyone in the community.
He says the Sparks Fire Department sees about two to three fentanyl overdoses each shift.
"25-year-old construction worker, who was staying here in the city of Sparks, hurt his back on the job site," Duncan said while talking about a recent story. "Someone else gave him what he thought was a Vicodin, it was laced with fentanyl and he took it and they found him dead in his bed."Â
Duncan says the City of Sparks is trying to be more proactive with this prevention.
They plan on giving more presentations to help spread the word farther in the community.
