MOUNT VERNON — Robert Morgan has seen the impact of fentanyl, even when the smallest amounts are involved.
“We’ve seen it here, just like every other community; it’s deadly dangerous,” said Morgan, the Mount Vernon police chief.
“It takes so little of it to be fatal in our subjects that we deal with here that are users of it.”
“I have got to believe almost every time when they overdose, it’s an accident … they don’t mean to do it. It’s so so dangerous because how much is a milligram and how much is five milligrams? You can’t quantify that without skills and lab equipment, Morgan said.
The Mount Vernon Police Department and Knox Public Health are extending their resources to help fight fentanyl every day, including today on national Fentanyl Awareness Day.
The not-for-profit organization, Facing Fentanyl, founded National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day in 2022.
The commemorative day is designed to “remember loved ones lost to overdoses involving illegally-made fentanyl, by raising awareness to the dangers of fentanyl, and sharing ways to prevent fatal overdoses,” according to the Centers for Disease Control.
How does Knox County fight fentanyl?
In Knox County, the Mount Vernon Police Department and Knox Public Health are just two groups that partner with organizations to fight fentanyl.
“We work with a lot of our community partners like the Knox Substance Abuse Action Team (KSAAT), probation departments and then we have our proactive drug investigations that try to reduce the amount of fentanyl that comes into our town,” Morgan said.
Like MVPD, Knox Public Health also works with KSAAT, the Freedom Center and the Main Place.
Tina Cockrell, public health education and nursing director at KPH, offered the following information on what KPH and its partners are actively doing to help local residents:
- Narcan Education & Distribution – Providing free Narcan kits and training community members to recognize and respond to an overdose. Obtain Free Narcan through the mail or visit this link.
- DEA “One Pill Can Kill” Campaign Promotion – Raising awareness about the dangers of counterfeit pills and fentanyl.
- Overdose Awareness Day Recognition event (Aug. 30, 2025) – Honoring the lives lost to overdose with a community event that includes a remembrance ceremony, walk, testimonials, and resource connections.
- Fentanyl Test Strips – Offer fentanyl test strips at special events like overdose awareness day to increase awareness and prevent overdoses.
“Through these partnerships and initiatives, we aim to reduce stigma, provide lifesaving tools, and encourage informed decision-making that helps save lives,” Cockrell said.
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