BETHESDA, MD — Today the U.S. Postal Service issued a semipostal stamp, Know the Facts About Fentanyl, at a ceremony held at the National Institutes of Health.
The stamp will raise funds to advance research and raise awareness to combat this ongoing epidemic while providing a message encouraging hope, healing and recovery.
The stamp was dedicated by Peter Pastre, USPS government relations and public policy vice president.
“Fentanyl contributes to some 80,000 overdose deaths each year, with devasting impacts to families and communities across the nation,” he said. “This semipostal stamp is priced higher than the standard 1-ounce letter rate to help raise money for causes in the national interest. The net proceeds from this stamp will be distributed to the National Institute on Drug Abuse —the world’s largest provider of research into substance abuse, addiction treatment, and recovery support.”
Pastre was joined by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health.
“Fentanyl represents one of the most urgent public health challenges of our time, and confronting it requires the full weight of scientific inquiry, innovation and national resolve,” he said. “At NIH, we are committed to funding the rigorous research needed to understand addiction, develop new treatments and save lives. This stamp is a uniquely meaningful way to remind every American that this fight belongs to all of us, and that science offers real hope for the future.”
Dr. Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, also spoke at the dedication.
“Addiction research has shown that recovery is sustained through meaningful interpersonal connections — the support of families, friends and peers in recovery. It is fitting to convey that message through a postage stamp, because stamps travel and connect one person to another. This stamp will travel through homes, workplaces and communities across the country, carrying a reminder that community matters, treatment works, recovery is possible, and nobody has to confront addiction by themselves,” she said.
Most of the approximately 80,000 annual overdose deaths in the United States involve fentanyl and other extremely potent synthetic opioids. In 2023, the U.S. saw a reduction in drug overdose deaths for the first time in years. Data released in 2024 showed deaths involving fentanyl declined at a historic rate, down more than 30 percent over the previous year. Sustained research to prevent and treat addiction, deploy overdose interventions, and sustain recovery is critical to build on current progress.
When working on the stamp design, Antonio Alcalá, an art director for USPS, said he wanted to convey the idea of supporting people while avoiding imagery of pills, which could be triggering to those recovering from misuse.
He reached out to illustrator Whitney Sherman, who created the art for the wildly successful Breast Cancer Research Semipostal.
The art focuses on a person in the center of the stamp surrounded by a diverse group of supporters. This emphasizes how fentanyl can affect one person yet also has an impact on the community. The group shows care and comfort to the central figure, reflecting their love and support. The central figure accepts their support without shame or embarrassment.
“The word ‘hope’ was dominant in my mind as it presents possibilities and positive outcomes,” Sherman said. “If you look at each person, they have an intention. They come from various places in the figure’s life. They are expressing care with their eyes and hand gestures. Some are looking at us, suggesting an invitation to also be caring, some are showing their commitment to the central figure that a family member or close friend may give, others offer a sympathetic glance.”
While Alcalá said working on any stamp is meaningful, this one is a little more special.
Know the Facts About Fentanyl is a semipostal stamp. The price of a semipostal stamp pays for the First-Class single-piece postage rate in effect at the time of purchase plus an amount to fund causes that have been determined to be in the national public interest. By law, revenue from sales (minus postage and the reasonable reimbursement of costs to the Postal Service) is to be transferred to a selected executive agency or agencies. Net proceeds from this stamp will be distributed to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
News of the Know the Facts About Fentanyl semipostal stamp is being shared with the hashtag #FentanylSemipostalStamp.
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