JACKSON, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Educating the public on the dangers of fentanyl is one of the ways the Jackson Police Department (JPD) is addressing criminal activity in the city.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the synthetic opioid is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

Like any major city, the Jackson area is not immune to drug activity. JPD is in the process of getting every officer supplied with Narcan to stop fentanyl overdoses.

“I believe the main thing is educating the public on what to look out for. Fentanyl can be found in powder form and also in pill form. The most common we’ve encountered is the blue pill forms. They’re labeled with 30 MO. Those are blue pills, and we’ve also came in contact with the powder. If you come in contact with a substance. and it hasn’t been prescribed to you, I would say stay away from it because the slightest touch, it can absorb through your skin, and it can cause significant damage to your body,” said Warren Hull, Special Operations captain with JPD.

Since March 2023, there have been 54 overdoses in the capital city. Data showed that synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, contribute to nearly 70% of overdose deaths.

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