HAMILTON COUNTY, Ohio — When Kelli Phelps talks about her son Alex, it can be hard to hold in the emotions.
She said Alex was a loving older brother, son and friend. Inside her home, one of the pictures hanging on the wall is a family photo from her daughter's wedding.
"That day, specifically, he told me, 'Mom, this is the best day of my life. I'm so lucky to be alive,'" Phelps said.
Phelps said her son struggled with addiction throughout his adult life, but she said he was determined about his future.
"My son had a girlfriend he intended to marry, he had a college degree and wanted a future, wanted children," Phelps said.
WATCH: How fentanyl changed this mom's life
Alex was eight months sober before he died from fentanyl poisoning in November 2021.
Phelps said at the time, Alex was dealing with a lot of stress and battling with depression.
"With fentanyl, all it takes is one time," Phelps said.
She said she learned a lot about addiction and recovery after her son's death.
"Those in recovery deserve a chance, and they deserve to not be judged," Phelps said.
According to the Ohio Department of Health, in the year Alex died, 5,174 people died from drug overdoses in Ohio — 80% of those involved fentanyl.
In Hamilton County that year, 515 people died from drug overdoses, according to the coroner's office. That was nearly 10% of the deaths caused by drug overdoses statewide.
The number of deaths from drug overdoses in Hamilton County has decreased over the past few years, but Phelps said there's still more work to be done.
"I think it's still a crisis that needs to be addressed," Phelps said.
Phelps isn't alone in her thinking. Brian McNeal with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said it's still a crisis.
"There are still far too many," McNeal said.
McNeal works for the DEA Detroit Division, which represents Michigan, Ohio and Northern Kentucky. He said, even as an expert, he struggles to differentiate counterfeit pills from the real ones.
"Five in 10 fake prescription pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl," McNeal said. "That's worse odds than Russian roulette."
McNeal said this year in Cincinnati, the DEA has confiscated two kilograms of fentanyl off the streets.
"If you take two kilograms, that represents more than two million deadly doses of fentanyl," McNeal said.
He said this year, federal agents in Ohio have seized enough fentanyl to provide a deadly dose to every resident in the state.
McNeal said awareness and public education are just as important. It's why he said he works to connect with parents, like Phelps, to caution everyone that experimentation is more dangerous than ever.
Ahead of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day on Thursday, McNeal and Phelps are urging parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of fentanyl.
"Don't mess with your life," said Phelps.
