DEA and United Against Fentanyl Announce National Partnership for Walk for Lives 2026

America Walks United: Over 100 Family-Led Community Events Planned Across All 50 States on July 11

WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, June 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and United Against Fentanyl (UAF) today announced a national partnership for Walk for Lives 2026, a coordinated series of more than 100 family-led community events across all 50 states on July 11, 2026. The partnership unites the federal government’s lead drug enforcement agency with the nation’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to a comprehensive strategy of ending the fentanyl crisis.

The Walk for Lives initiative is organized by bereaved family members—typically a parent who lost a child to fentanyl—supported by trained volunteer leadership teams and community partners from the public and private sector. Each event features a one-to-two-mile walk, family testimonials, expert-led educational presentations, and a community resource fair connecting participants to lifesaving services including harm reduction, recovery support, grief counseling, and prevention education.

United Against Fentanyl’s initiatives also include the Fentanyl Families Network, a membership community providing grief support and paths to action for the approximate 5 million Americans who lost a direct family member to fentanyl in the past decade.

The Walk for Lives partnership advances the DEA’s Fentanyl Free America initiative, which launched in December 2025 to combat the synthetic drug crisis through three pillars: Protect, Prevent, and Support. Walk for Lives delivers on all three—protecting communities through awareness, preventing fentanyl poisonings through education, and supporting those most impacted through direct access to local resources.

Fentanyl-related overdoses remain the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18–45. Over a ten high school students die each week. More than one million parents grieve the recent loss of a child. In 2023, the DEA seized 76 million fentanyl pills—an estimated 5–10% of the total on American streets.
The partnership builds on proven results. In September 2025, UAF’s inaugural Walk for Lives mobilized 46 walks across 26 states, engaging approximately 3,000 participants, over 250 partner nonprofit organizations, and tens of millions of digital impressions across TV, web, and social media.

“Fentanyl Free America is a nationwide effort to save lives and protect Americans from the deadliest drug threat our nation has ever faced,” said DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. “In partnership with United Against Fentanyl, communities across the country will participate in hundreds of awareness and education events on a single day, demonstrating that prevention is everyone’s responsibility. By working together and speaking with one voice we can raise awareness, prevent future tragedies, support affected families, and build a safer, healthier, and Fentanyl Free America.”

"I’ve watched men and women of the DEA show unwavering support to survivors while delivering lifesaving education nationwide. I also have the honor of working with so many family members who refuse to let grief be the end of their story and who channel unimaginable loss into action that has reached every corner of this country," said Paul Martin, Founder and President of UAF. "This partnership is a direct reflection of what their determination has produced. And it demonstrates that when the public and private sectors coordinate behind a common mission, the result is something neither could achieve alone. That is how we are building the broadest-reaching fentanyl awareness movement in America. The big winners here are families."

After July 11, Walk for Lives 2026 will culminate on Saturday, September 26 with a national gathering on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

Additional information, including walk locations and registration, is available at www.walkforlives.org. DEA prevention resources and educational materials are available at www.dea.gov/fentanylfree.

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About United Against Fentanyl
Headquartered in Washington D.C., United Against Fentanyl is a nonpartisan national nonprofit organization that interrupts the use of illicit fentanyl through innovative, bold, and effective initiatives. UAF organizes grassroots awareness campaigns and advocates for bipartisan policy change. Its leadership includes experts in foreign policy, law enforcement, public health, medicine, social media, investigative journalism, and business. Learn more at www.UnitedAgainstFentanyl.org.

About the Drug Enforcement Administration
The Drug Enforcement Administration is the federal law enforcement agency responsible for investigating violations of the Controlled Substances Act and related offenses. DEA’s Fentanyl Free America initiative is a comprehensive enforcement and public awareness campaign aimed at reducing both the supply and demand for fentanyl through its three pillars: Protect, Prevent, and Support. Learn more at www.dea.gov/fentanylfree.

Stephanie Hellstern
United Against Fentanyl
stephanie@unitedagainstfentanyl.org
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