Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R,C-Mohawk Valley and the Adirondacks) held a press conference alongside Co-Founder of the Fentanyl Fathers Non-Profit Organization Greg Swan and members of the Assembly Minority Conference in Albany on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, to introduce Assembly Bill A.8540, also known as the “Fentanyl Fathers and Mothers Act.” This proposal will require New York state to develop and adopt a comprehensive Fentanyl Education, Awareness and Recognition Program for all public, charter and private schools to implement for their students in grades six through 12.

Parents statewide are losing their children and teens at alarming rates due to the illegal use of fentanyl and similar synthetic opioids and counterfeit pills. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of opioid-related deaths that occurred between 2018 and 2024 in New York state was nearly 30,000. The vast majority of these deaths involved non-methadone synthetic opioids, which is the category that includes fentanyl, its derivatives and similar synthetic opioids like carfentanil.

Synthetic opioids like fentanyl are not only the primary driver of overdose deaths in New York state but also in the rest of the U.S. From Jan. 31, 2020, to Jan. 31, 2021, overdose deaths involving opioids rose by 38.1% nationwide. During that same period, overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, primarily illicitly manufactured fentanyl, rose by 55.6% nationwide.

Smullen asserts the Fentanyl Fathers and Mothers Act will provide a comprehensive educational program for youth and young adults to learn about the potentially fatal consequences of fentanyl and other deadly substances, thus saving the lives of countless New Yorkers.

“We must educate our children and teens to protect them from the onslaught of fatal substances being pushed into our communities illegally,” said Smullen. “In many cases, a child or teen believes they are purchasing one drug when in reality that drug is mixed with other illicit substances or is something else entirely. Dealers often advertise the drug falsely, and a fake pill mixed with fentanyl can be deadly if a small amount is accidentally ingested—even an amount as small as the tip of a pencil.

“The seriousness of New York state’s fentanyl crisis cannot be understated. As a father and concerned citizen of this great state, I ask my colleagues across the aisle to help me pass the Fentanyl Fathers and Mothers Act during the 2025 legislative session. We must do everything in our power to protect New Yorkers and preserve our families and communities statewide. Help us spread the word: It is time to stop the flow of fentanyl into our state and country, spread awareness on the dangers of fentanyl and other illicit substances and save lives.”

To view footage of Assemblyman Robert Smullen’s opening remarks at the start of the Fentanyl Fathers and Mothers Act press conference on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, please click here.