TOPEKA - (June 7, 2023) - Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach is asking Kansans to be smart and protect themselves.

"Do not take any pill that you didn't receive from a doctor of pharmacist," Kobach says in a public service announcement sent to Kansas television stations for their immediate use.

More than 1,200 Kansans have already died from suspected fentanyl poisoning, and the problem is getting worse. Earlier this week, Lawrence police responded to three fentanyl overdoses in one night. One person died and the others were hospitalized. 

Kobach made combatting fentanyl a priority when he campaigned for the office of Kansas Attorney General. Lawmakers enhanced penalties for individuals who sell fentanyl. The Kansas Bureau of Investigations is redirecting some resources to combat the drug, and now the Attorney General is launching a public awareness campaign to warn Kansans of the potential dangers of taking pills that weren't prescribed to them by a doctor or provided to them by a pharmacist.

"Law enforcement officers frequently tell me that Kansas is in the midst of a fentanyl poisoning wave that hasn't yet crested. We must do everything we can to prevent fentanyl overdose deaths," he said.

If you are a station manager who did not receive a copy of the public service announcement and would like one, please contact Danedri Herbert, Kansas Attorney General Director of Communications at (913)706-6394 or at danedri.herbert@ag.ks.gov.