The Dangers of Fentanyl: What South Carolinians Need to Know About the Deadly Drug

BHDD underscores prevention, naloxone access and education as key tools in saving lives.

Columbia, SC – September 8, 2025 – The South Carolina Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (BHDD) Office of Substance Use Services (OSUS) is raising awareness about one of the deadliest threats facing communities today: fentanyl.

A synthetic opioid up to 100 times stronger than morphine, fentanyl is now connected to the majority of overdose deaths nationwide. In South Carolina, fentanyl has increasingly been found not only in heroin, but also in counterfeit pills and powders, often without the user knowing. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, an amount small enough to fit on the tip of a pencil or inside the ear of Lincoln on a penny, can be fatal when ingested or injected.

“Fentanyl is a danger we cannot ignore – but knowledge is power. By raising awareness in every home, school and community, we give South Carolinians the knowledge and tools they need to protect one another,” said Sara Goldsby, Office Director of OSUS. “Together we can prevent overdoses and save lives.”

What to Know About Fentanyl

• Extreme potency: Just 2 mg can be lethal, depending on a person’s size, tolerance and health.
• Unseen danger: Fentanyl is increasingly mixed into counterfeit pills and other drugs, making every use a gamble.
• Overdose signs: Slow or stopped breathing, blue lips or fingertips, unresponsiveness and pinpoint pupils.

Prevention and Resources

• Naloxone Saves Lives: Free naloxone kits and overdose response training are available at community distribution centers across South Carolina. Naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose if administered quickly.
• Treatment and Recovery: Help is available through a statewide network of providers. Visit www.daodas.sc.gov or call (803) 896-5555 to find resources.
• Community Action: Families, schools and community leaders can play a role in reducing risk by encouraging open conversations about substance use and supporting prevention and recovery efforts.
• Just Plain Killers: OSUS’s Just Plain Killers campaign educates the public about the dangers of opioids, promotes naloxone access, and helps connect individuals and families to treatment and recovery services.

About the BHDD Office of Substance Use Services

The Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities' Office of Substance Use Services ensures the availability and quality of a continuum of substance use services to improve the health status, safety and quality of life of individuals, families and communities across South Carolina. For more information, visit bhdd.sc.gov/office-substance-use-services.