I lost a best friend who was a brother to me from a fentanyl overdose. I met Ron in high school; we were 14 years old. He was playful and always had a smile on his face, but deep down, I could tell that he was dealing with hidden intrusive thoughts and depression.
Ron began to change slowly. Even though he never failed to make everyone around him laugh, he would come to class with bloodshot eyes, sometimes slurring his words. Eventually, due to attendance issues, failing most of his courses, and being unable to participate in class, he showed up to class less and less.
One day, our teacher got so angry with him for having his head down on his desk. She yelled at him; he looked up at her and put his head down once again. That teacher then yelled, “See, kids, don’t do drugs; let this serve all of you an example that being high and falling asleep in this class is unacceptable!” The teacher called security on him; security escorted him out to the principal’s office. It didn’t take too long for Ron to stop showing up to school.
My best friend suffered from addiction for years, and at 27, he overdosed.
When his addiction began, no one in school helped him. Instead, he would be sent to the principal’s office, and he would have detentions. On top of that, teachers ridiculed and embarrassed him for being intoxicated in front of the whole class to serve as an “example of what we shouldn’t do” in school. No wonder he didn’t feel the need to come to school. The school system failed him miserably.
Teen deaths have increased dramatically since the end of 2019; most deaths involved illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMFs), approximately one-quarter of deaths included evidence of counterfeit pills, and two-thirds of those who died had a potential bystander present, although most provided no overdose response due to lack of knowledge of CPR and available Narcan present. From July–December 2019 to July–December 2021, median monthly overdose deaths among adolescents increased 109%. In 2021, 73% of overdose deaths in the general population involved IMFs; among adolescents, a higher proportion (84%) involved IMFs, nearly all involved an opioid, and approximately 20% involved both IMFs and stimulants.
It’s time to talk about fentanyl. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. The fact is that just 2 milligrams of fentanyl, equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose. Fentanyl that is illegally manufactured is found in heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, and counterfeit pills. Numerous people may not know they’re ingesting fentanyl, leading to accidental poisoning. In 2021 alone, fentanyl killed more individuals than gun- and auto-related deaths combined. Every six of ten false pills tested for fentanyl contain a lethal dose.
To end the increase of fentanyl-related deaths amongst teens, schools and programs serving youth must increase awareness and create safe environments. Schools can update their memorandums of understanding with local first responders to ensure a plan to respond to an overdose immediately. Classes designated for teaching young people opioid safety/ prevention must be part of all schools’ curricula. Teachers must have a calm, direct conversation with their students and listen without judgment. Teachers, administrators, and caretakers need to work together to plan to keep their students safe.
A bill currently in the House of Representatives, H. R. 4582, would authorize the use of Preventive Health and Health Services Block Grants to purchase life-saving opioid antagonists for schools and to provide related training and education to students and teachers. This bill will allow states to use the $146 million in grant funding through the Department of Health and Human Services to educate children and provide training and naloxone to teachers and school employees to save lives.
I lost Ron to a fentanyl-laced pill, which was incredibly devastating. This may not have happened if the school system had done a better job of educating students about prevention, opioid safety, and Narcan training. This could have been prevented if they had decided to take his addiction more seriously in high school when it first began and provided him with the help he needed. They knew about his struggles with addiction; staff members were witnesses, as well as students. It was all over his demeanor, eyes, body language, and speech. No adult in the school system did anything to help him and intervene appropriately. They ignored his struggles on top of mocking his addiction.
Schools need to help students who exhibit risky behaviors associated with drug use. This can improve bystander response and prevent deaths. The school system needs to provide education on mitigating practices, the importance of not initiating drug use, never using drugs alone, having naloxone readily available for rapid service, and ensuring their peers know how to administer it. It is critical for teen survival.
Sarah Martins is a Registered Nurse at St. Vincent’s Medical Center in Bridgeport. She is a candidate in the Doctor of Nursing Practice-Family Nurse Practitioner program at Sacred Heart University’s College of Nursing.