Police Mark Florida’s First Fentanyl Awareness & Education Day
Published on August 21, 2025
West Palm Beach Police Department Marks Florida’s First
Fentanyl Awareness & Education Day with Strong Enforcement Results
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (August 21, 2025) – August 21, 2025, marks Florida’s first official Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day, a date designated to encourage public agencies, schools, and community organizations to share information on the dangers of Fentanyl and the risk of overdose. The measure went into effect on July 1, 2025, after being signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis on May 16, 2025.
The West Palm Beach Police Department has made the fight against Fentanyl a top priority. In 2025, detectives have seized more than 7.2 pounds of Fentanyl from city streets — a potentially lethal amount capable of causing thousands of overdoses.
These 2025 efforts follow a highly successful 2024, when West Palm Beach Police Department detectives and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) dismantled major fentanyl supply operations in South Florida. Joint investigations led to the removal of 650 pounds of Fentanyl from the streets, crippling two large-scale trafficking networks.
Also in 2024, a West Palm Beach–led investigation targeted the primary fentanyl supplier in the city's Northend. In two search warrants, detectives seized 19.6 pounds of Fentanyl from Blake Kolessa. Kolessa was later convicted and sentenced to 15 years in prison.
"As we recognize Florida’s first Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day, our department remains committed to both enforcement and education," said Tony Araujo, Chief of Police for West Palm Beach. "Every gram we remove saves lives, and every conversation we have about fentanyl can prevent a tragedy."
The West Palm Beach Police Department encourages residents to learn about the signs of fentanyl overdose, seek help for substance use disorder, and report suspicious drug activity. Together, law enforcement and the community can help keep Fentanyl out of our neighborhoods.
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Rachel Leitao
Public Information Officer
pdpio@wpb.org