Annual Drug and Fentanyl Awareness Rally at Tulsa County Courthouse | News

TULSA, Oklahoma – On Thursday morning, pictures of people who died from drug overdoses hung outside the Tulsa County District Court.

“He was a good boy. He was stubborn, smart and defiant,” said Whitney Ruggles.

Ruggles lost her 15-year-old son to a fentanyl overdose in 2021. Now she spends her time saving others.

“I don't want anyone else to feel this way, and if I don't tell my story, others won't know,” Ruggles said.

She says raising awareness about the dangers of fentanyl can be life-saving.

“I want all parents to talk to their children, the earlier the better, because knowledge is power. Only education can save lives,” Ruggles said.

Diane Searile, founder and president of Families Supporting Families, agrees.

“Fentanyl and all these drugs are not going away. So if we don't start educating these young people, we're not going to be able to get the situation under control,” Searile said.

Families Supporting Families hosts the annual rally outside the Tulsa County Courthouse to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and drug overdoses. They have resources to get help, such as support groups and Narcan.

“This is one of those groups you don’t want to grow, but we’re growing by leaps and bounds,” Searile said.

Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler says he has seen a sharp increase in fentanyl-related cases.

“It's an epidemic, there's no better way to describe it than an epidemic,” Kunzweiler said. “I care, we care. We're trying to find a way to get the word out. You can't take these drugs, they could be laced with fentanyl.”

The best way to prevent these deaths is to educate people about the dangers of the drug, Kunzweiler says.