With rising numbers of fentanyl deaths among adolescents across the country, many schools are struggling to grapple with the crisis.
Whether through drug awareness and prevention lessons, campaigns asking kids to turn in pills “no questions asked,” or loading up school nurses’ offices with Narcan to reverse opioid overdoses, schools nationwide are fighting against drugs.
“[Fentanyl’s] infiltration into schools is certainly something that cannot be ignored,” explained Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, according to NPR.
“We cannot close our eyes. We cannot look the other way,” he added. The district is one of the largest to stock Narcan on all school campuses.
After tripling between 2019 and 2021, fentanyl was involved in 84% of all adolescent overdose deaths in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It is often referred to as fentanyl poisoning, as many who take the highly addictive substance do so unknowingly.
That was the case for Sienna Vaughn, a junior involved in Girl Scouts and cheerleading in Plano, for Griffin Hoffmann, who headed his high school tennis team in Portland, and for Laird Ramirez, 17, a member of his high school wrestling team near Charlotte.
All three teens overdosed from fentanyl-laced counterfeits of genuine prescription pills, such as Valium and Percocet. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl can deliver a fatal dose.
“This was our … worst nightmare come true,” said Stephanie Vaughn, the mother of the victim, speaking with WFAA.
In terms of why the drug crisis is striking America’s teens most, Lauren Tanz, an epidemiologist with the CDC, pointed to several contributing factors.
“The combination of more easily available drugs –- particularly highly potent drugs like fentanyl that are available via social media and through counterfeit pills –- and a mental health crisis among adolescents that was exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic is resulting in an increase in overdose deaths among kids,” Tanz told NPR.
As previously reported in The Dallas Express, Tucker’s Law (House Bill 3908) came into effect on September 1 in Texas. It requires that taxpayer-funded public schools teach a yearly lesson regarding fentanyl and drug abuse awareness.
Yet some experts have urged for more, namely the inclusion of measures promoting mental health services that tackle the root cause of adolescent drug use.
“Kids have to understand why they are buying pills in the first place,” explained Kathleen Hassenfratz, a licensed counselor, according to The Texas Tribune. “Substance use disorder is one type of mental health problem, and when you have one problem of this type, you are more likely to have other problems in the same area.”
Other experts have pointed to the need to involve the community in anti-drug efforts.
President of the National Education Association, the nation’s largest teacher’s union, Becky Pringle suggested that families, educators, and government officials need to come together to tackle this complex issue.
“We can’t possibly do this alone. This is not a school crisis. This is a community crisis,” Pringle said, according to NPR.
“Too often, the ills of society find the way to our schoolhouse doors, but the resources of society don’t follow them,” she added.
Critical of how both government leaders and schools have been handling the drug crisis, the family members affected by fentanyl-related tragedies have been pushing for change by backing community initiatives to raise awareness.
“We need to revive drug education in America. In a way, we need Narcan drug education – we need to breathe life into it, bring it back,” suggested Ed Ternan, who founded the nonprofit Song for Charlie with his wife Mary in honor of their late son, according to NPR.
The group’s advocacy campaigns focus on social media to teach and inform teens about fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription pills using fact-based messages.
“You’re getting ripped off. These dealers advertising on social media do not care. They don’t know you, they’re not your friend, and they are lying to you about what they’re selling you,” Ternan summarized.
Song for Charlie also hinges on mobilizing teens to be the ones warning their friends about the dangers of fentanyl.
Recently in North Texas, Erik Santos of Garland was arrested on three counts of delivery of a controlled substance causing serious bodily injury, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Santos was accused of selling fentanyl to three teenage girls, all of whom overdosed and ended up in the hospital.
One girl was found at an AMC movie theater, and the other two were discovered at a nearby TGI Friday’s. The Garland Fire Department revived each with Narcan.