WORCESTER, Mass. — The “One Pill Can Kill Tournament” on June 6 at Clark University in Worcester is a collaboration between the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s New England Field Division and collegiate esports teams from across the region.
In a release on Tuesday, the DEA announced that the tournament will aim to use the popular esports platform to help educate young people about the dangers of fentanyl, as drug poisoning or overdose death kills 32 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18 each week, according to a recent study by the New England Journal of Medicine.
To better reach the teenage audience, the DEA has teamed up with Devon Michale Foundation founder, actress and influencer Ava Michelle Cota and eight esports teams from throughout New England to take a new, creative approach to fentanyl outreach and awareness, the DEA said.
According to the DEA, 97% of Americans between the ages of 12 and 17 play video games, so the administration is hoping to reach teens in the virtual world.
The tournament will be hosted by Clark University on June 6 from 7-9 p.m. and be broadcast on Twitch and a DEA website made for the event, as gamers play Rocket League. Competing alongside Clark University students will be esports teams from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston University, Emerson College, Post University, University of New Hampshire and the University of Southern Maine, the DEA said.
The DEA noted that fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is now involved in most drug poisonings and overdose deaths, as it is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams – the amount that fits on the tip of a pencil – can be deadly, according to the DEA.
On many occasions, people buy medications from unlicensed sources, and unknowingly purchase fentanyl. The DEA said laboratory testing indicates that seven out of 10 fentanyl pills seized contain a deadly dose. DEA notes that in 2023 it seized about 15.7 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl in New England alone.
DEA Associate Administrator Jon DeLena said in the release that the administration is thrilled it is teaming up with esports teams to host the One Pill Can Kill Game Over Tournament in New England to increase awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.
“This event is extremely personal to me,” DeLena said, in the release. “I know how much my own kids enjoy playing video games, so knowing they are also learning valuable, life-saving information while doing what they love is so important. I want to encourage any family with a gamer to join us -either virtually or in-person – (to) watch the competition and then talk about what you’ve learned. It could be the most important talk you have as a family.
Cota, the actress/influencer whose foundation aims to spread awareness about mental health and the fentanyl crisis while supporting individuals in pursing a healthy and fulfilled life by getting them the help they need, said she truly believes the effort is saving lives.
“Connecting with people in an environment where they are having fun and are open to learning has been an incredible experience. Raising awareness and providing education about the fentanyl epidemic is absolutely critical,” Cota said, in the release.
The upcoming tournament at Clark University will be the third tournament in a national series. The first tournament was held in the DEA’s New Orleans Field Division in January and reached more than 285,500 viewers, according to the DEA, while the second tournament was hosted by DEA Philadelphia in March and was viewed by more than 146,800 people.
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The New England event is the first tournament in the series to offer an in-person outreach event, DEA said.
More information can be found here.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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