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W&L Hosts “Dangers of Fentanyl” Event, Presented by BirdieLight BirdieLight’s mission is to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl in drugs and distribute life-saving tools to prevent overdose.

BirdieLight-logo-350x306 W&L Hosts “Dangers of Fentanyl” Event, Presented by BirdieLight

Washington and Lee University will host “Dangers of Fentanyl,” presented by BirdieLight, on Thursday, Jan. 19 at 7 p.m. in Stackhouse Theater. BirdieLight’s mission is to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl in drugs and distribute life-saving tools to prevent overdose.

The event is free and open to the W&L community. Tickets are available here.

Fentanyl in drugs is becoming a major public health concern. At BirdieLight’s “Dangers of Fentanyl” presentation, attendees will learn about the danger of unintentional fentanyl ingestion and hear from a family whose son passed away from an overdose. Free fentanyl test strips will also be available as part of BirdieLight’s mission to empower young people with the tools they need to detect fentanyl and save their own lives.

“BirdieLight’s solution to the fentanyl crisis is education, education, education!” said founder Dr. Beth Weinstock, from the BirdieLight website. “We aren’t going to get anywhere with this crisis until we educate young people about what fentanyl is, where it’s found, and how to stay safe from it.”

Weinstock founded BirdieLight with her daughter, Olivia, in 2021, in honor of her son Eli, who died when he unintentionally ingested fentanyl. The organization works to end the “senseless loss of young people due to fentanyl poisoning” through widespread education and awareness initiatives. Weinstock is a graduate of the University of Michigan and the Ohio State University College of Medicine and recently retired from Equitas Health to more fully focus on BirdieLight.

“Dangers of Fentanyl” is sponsored by Washington and Lee’s Contact Committee, Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, Washingtonian Society and W&L Health Promotion.