Teens nowadays are highly impacted by substances. From curiosity or peer pressure, even from mental health issues, and wanting to numb things out, you even see children getting addicted to pain pills that were prescribed to them for an injury.
All the different ways and reasons why we see teens getting hooked on pills and substances. The sad fact about this fentanyl epidemic is that it’s not making people say don’t do drugs because you will get addicted. It’s making people say don’t do drugs, because you might not wake up.
On Wednesday, October 15th, The Fentanyl Fathers came to Lamphere High School to tell their story about a loved one passing away from fentanyl poisoning, and to talk about the dangers of fentanyl and to educate teens about fentanyl in general.
At the beginning of the assembly, the fathers had the Lamphere students scan a QR code to take a survey. The survey had questions about knowledge on Fentanyl and overdosing, and questions like, do know what to do if someone overdoses? They used this data to see how much of an impact the assembly has on students and how little teens actually know about fentanyl.
The fathers not only told their story, but also gave very valuable information and facts on fentanyl and the danger of it to truly put in perspective how evil the drug is.
Here are some of those facts that Lamphere students learned at the fentanyl fathers assembly:
We lose around 279 people a day to fentanyl overdose.
Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
In 2013, when we started to see fentanyl overdoses in America, only 3 percent of fake pills were laced with fentanyl. In the year 2020, 50 percent of fake pills were laced with fentanyl.
2020 was the worst year of overdoses we have had.
The drug market had truly expanded through social media and online in general by that time. Making it easier for anyone to access substances.
Fentanyl has also been seen in way more products, originally just in opioids. Now we see it being put into substances like cocaine, heroin, xanax, even marijuana, and much more. No one is safe.
Buying drugs is like playing russian roulette now, you never know if it’s gonna be real or laced.
In the year 2024, 80,856 people died from an overdose. Most of them were from fentanyl.
For the ages 18 to 45, overdosing is the most common way of death.
114 percent increase in overdoses for the ages 10 to 14 has been seen recently.
Laced pills can look very real, but ways to tell if a pill is fake are by the markings and color on the pill itself.
2 out of 3 times, someone is present when someone is having an overdose.
The fathers believe that if we are all educated on how to tell if someone is having an overdose and what to do in serious situations, we can all help to save a life.
When someone is overdosing, you will see:
-Being unconscious (not responsive)
-Blue and purple or grey and ashy color to that person’s skin
-Slow or raspy breathing
-Dizziness and confusion
-Choking or gurgling noises
-Dilated pupils
-Cold or clammy skin
Why and how does overdosing happen? Different opioids work with specific receptors in your brain to give that euphoric feeling when high. When overdoses happen, it’s because the drug is trying to grab on to all these receptors. This makes the brain get overwhelmed, and interrupts signals in your brain that cause you to stop breathing or slow down your breathing. To then begin to shut other systems down in your body.
What is naloxone you may ask? You may have heard about Narcan, which is just a specific brand of naloxone.
Naloxone is a nasal spray that can reverse opioid effects and cause sudden withdrawal. It can restore someone’s breathing who has slowed down their breathing or even stopped breathing. Anyone can give naloxone to someone without medical training; you would use it on the person as if it were any kind of nasal spray. It is available in a lot of areas, but not in enough. Also, remember that the reverse effects are temporary; they typically only last up to 30 to 90 minutes. So if the naloxone works on the person who was overdosing, they still need medical attention.
Step by step on what to do if someone is overdosing:
-Tap the person and, with a firm voice, ask if they are okay and can hear you
-Call 911 (they will talk you through what to do)
If Naloxone is available:
-Naloxone spray
Peel the seal
Give 1 spray
-Check breathing
Yes, recovery position
No, CPR
-Give 2nd dose (if needed)
Continue CPR and rescue breaths
-Recovery position
Put them on their side on the ground
-Stay calm and understanding with the person
If they become conscious, they may be confused or even aggressive.
When the person starts to gain consciousness, tell them that they had
a medical emergency, they are safe, they will be okay, and help is on the way.
Crisis Response Unit
The Crisis Resources you Need
(248) – 463 – 5111
Open 24 hours 7 Days a Week
What is the Good Samaritan law? It protects the individual who called for help and is trying to assist the person in need. This is to encourage people to call 911 without the fear of getting in trouble themselves. So people don’t let others die out of fear of getting punished. At the end of the day, it’s always more important to save a life. By not doing anything at all, that person’s blood is on your hands. So if you’re in a serious situation, the best thing to do is call for medical assistance and try to help and assist the person in need as best you can.
Overall, the people who spoke at The Fentanyl Father assembly were very raw and vulnerable. They’re biggest goal for this is to bring awareness about fentanyl to teens. With hopes to be able to save lives from these speeches. To bring honor to their own children, because they wish they were more aware of the dangers of fentanyl. The fathers showed their own children and told their story to bring relatability and realness to the students. To show that this can happen to anyone, no matter who you are. That no one is superhuman, and putting yourself in a position like this can truly hurt your family. That they will forever be stuck with the guilt and thoughts of what if I could have stopped this, and what if I had taught my child the danger of fentanyl, that maybe they would still be here. A few of the fathers said to please not do this to your parents, because it’s truly a hard and devastating experience to go through.
It’s like flipping a coin.
5 out of every 10 fake pills have a lethal dose of fentanyl.