The University of San Diego women's volleyball team has partnered with the U.S. Attorney's Office, San Diego City Attorney's Office, and the Olé Foundation to launch a social media campaign aimed at promoting fentanyl awareness and overdose prevention. This initiative aligns with the fourth annual National Fentanyl Awareness Day observed on April 29, 2025.
The primary aim of the initiative is to inform the public about the perils of fentanyl and to diminish accidental usage or overdose incidents. The campaign also focuses on educating students on life-saving measures during an overdose emergency.
U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, reflecting on the collaboration, remarked, "These student athletes are terrific ambassadors for the messages of fentanyl awareness and prevention. We are making progress every day in preventing accidental fentanyl poisonings, and we are grateful for such committed partners like the City Attorney’s Office and the University of San Diego knowing that their actions will help save lives.”
City Attorney Heather Ferbert added, "Fentanyl continues to claim lives across our communities, and awareness is one of the most powerful tools we have to fight back. We’re proud to partner with the Department of Justice and the University of San Diego’s student athletes to share life-saving information. By working together, we can help prevent tragedy and protect our community."
The campaign features a video with USD student-athletes discussing fentanyl dangers, identifying overdose symptoms, and emphasizing the use of naloxone, commonly referred to by its brand name Narcan, an opioid overdose reversal medication. Naloxone can be acquired without prescription at many pharmacies across California and is also accessible through community programs or local health organizations at no cost.
In these public service announcements, the student athletes convey warnings about counterfeit drugs, stressing that fentanyl can be present in seemingly common medications. They also urge awareness of overdose indicators and reiterate the importance of knowing how to use Narcan. "Let's take luck out of it," they conclude, highlighting the critical nature of education and prevention over relying on chance.
The campaign, utilizing hashtags #TakesMoreThanLuck and #ItTakesATeam, will reach audiences through various social media platforms. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, the University, and student-athletes will actively promote the message across Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, Snapchat, and YouTube.
This marks the third collaboration involving student athletes in a social media campaign by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and City Attorney's Office, partnering this time with the Olé Foundation at USD. The campaign is developed as part of the Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) efforts, guiding student-athletes in managing their personal brand while maintaining their academic and athletic balance.
The campaign follows previous partnerships with teams such as the SDSU women’s soccer and men’s basketball teams, which garnered over a million impressions.
Further resources on fentanyl prevention are available in both English and Spanish via San Diego County’s Community & Parent Toolkits.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office clarified that its involvement in the campaign with USD’s NIL department is not an endorsement of any associated product, service, or enterprise.