Somali American Community Fentanyl Prevention
The fentanyl and overdose crisis in Oregon is growing at an alarming rate. In the year ending April 2024, nearly 1,900 Oregonians lost their lives to overdose—a 22% increase from the previous year. While many states are seeing reductions, our communities continue to face devastating losses.
Lines for Life is working to combat fentanyl upstream by developing innovative prevention strategies tailored to the cultural needs of Oregon communities.
We’ve partnered with the Somali American Council of Oregon (SACOO) and Song for Charlie—a national leader in fentanyl prevention—to create prevention messaging that truly resonates with Somali Oregonians.
Our approach:
- Hosting youth and parent focus groups to ensure effective, culturally appropriate messaging.
- Adapting evidence-based materials to fit Somali community needs.
- Collaborating with community leaders to shape messaging that builds trust and engagement.
This work is just the beginning. By prioritizing community-driven solutions, we aim to set the national standard for effective fentanyl prevention messaging in culturally specific communities.
Together, we’re strengthening mental health support and prevention efforts in Oregon so every community has the tools to thrive.
“We lost three people to fentanyl in the Somali community last year alone. It’s especially devastating for us – we don’t understand it, we don’t have experience with it, and there are no resources built to work for the parents, children and families who’ve had our experience as new immigrants here – much less resources in our language.”