WASHINGTON — Angela Kennecke, founder of Emily’s Hope, joined U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Administrator Anne Milgram and Attorney General Merrick Garland at the National Family Summit on Fentanyl this week. Kennecke shared her advocacy efforts to combat the fentanyl crisis and discussed the critical work of Emily’s Hope, a nonprofit organization dedicated to removing stigma, educating youth, and supporting families impacted by substance use disorder.
The two-day summit, held on November 14-15, brought together more than 120 families who have lost loved ones to fentanyl poisonings or overdoses. Attendees explored strategies to collaborate with the DEA in the fight against the deadly drug, which has devastated communities across the United States.
During the summit, the DEA highlighted a troubling trend: precursors to fentanyl are increasingly being shipped into the U.S., only to be transported to Mexico, where cartels produce fentanyl powder. The cartels then send the powder back into the U.S., where gangs and organized crime groups press it into counterfeit pills for distribution. Additionally, the DEA warned of even stronger chemicals than fentanyl being detected in illicit drugs, amplifying the risks for users.
Administrator Milgram shared a mix of hopeful news and ongoing challenges in the fight against fentanyl. For the first time since 2018, the U.S. saw a decrease in drug overdose deaths, with a 14.5% decline from June 2023 to June 2024, according to the CDC. This reduction translates to over 14,000 lives saved. Moreover, the DEA reported a decrease in the potency of fentanyl pills, with laboratory tests revealing that 5 out of 10 pills contain a potentially deadly dose—down from 7 out of 10 in 2023.
“Decreases in drug-related deaths and the lethality of pills equals lives saved,” Milgram said. “Much work remains, and one death is too many, but today we can find some comfort in the fact that the work we are all doing together—enforcing laws, educating Americans, and increasing access to Naloxone—is saving lives. We are making progress, and much of that is due to the efforts made by families to educate the public.”
The summit also marked the debut of a new interactive kiosk in the DEA’s Faces of Fentanyl exhibit, which memorializes the lives lost to fentanyl through photos submitted by families. Since its debut in 2022, the exhibit at DEA headquarters in Arlington, Virginia, has received more than 6,100 photographs.
In addition to the summit’s workshops and dedication ceremony, the DEA announced the launch of the Together For Families (TFF) Network. This initiative aims to connect national and community organizations to sustain year-round efforts in drug misuse prevention, treatment access, and support for families impacted by overdoses.
Kennecke, who has been a tireless advocate following the loss of her daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning, said the summit reinforced the urgency of addressing the crisis. “We must continue to work together to save lives and bring attention to the devastating impact of fentanyl,” she said.
Emily’s Hope, based in South Dakota, has partnered with schools, communities, and families to raise awareness and provide resources for substance use prevention and recovery. Kennecke’s presence at the summit underscores the role families and grassroots organizations play in the ongoing battle against fentanyl and the cartels fueling its distribution.