The CDC found in 2021 nearly 108,000 people died from a drug overdose; 71,000 of which died from fentanyl or opioid-related substances. The severity and drastic number of deaths has prompted local and state governments to launch campaigns in response to the killer drug. While the issue may seem a long way from Canadian, individuals in the school are spreading awareness about the drug and its severity.

Let’s start with the facts:

The CDC states:

CHS science teacher Wade Hood initially reached out to school nurse Molly Kerrigan to gain more information on the issue, and to understand how fentanyl is used in a hospital setting. Kerrigan said that the use of fentanyl in medicine must be very precise, and many times does cause respiratory problems amongst patients. Due to fentanyl’s strong properties, it is becoming used to lace drugs to create a greater high. Nurse Molly said, “My main concern is that teens and college age kids are trying to get pills like Adderall, oxycontin, hydrocodone, and Xanax, and they purchase pills from some drug dealer, or even a friend, who purchased them from someone else, and what they ingest is not the real deal.” The problem is that due to the strength of fentanyl only 1 grain more than the exact dose could stop breathing and lead to death. “The kids dying are not typically drug addicted kids, they just take one pill one time,” Kerrigan said, “I really believe that if kids know this information, they will think twice about taking a random pill.” No pill is safe unless it comes from a pharmacy with a prescription Kerrigan said.

“Fentanyl itself is not bad, it is actually useful for many painful procedures and diseases, but only when prescribed by a doctor and dosed from a pharmacy,” Kerrigan said.

The information presented to Mr. Hood prompted him to act himself and present the dangers of the drug to his students. Mr. Hood stated when asked what prompted him to present his finding to his students, “Hearing information from the news and from Nurse Molly, and because things in the Halloween, seeing colors of pills.”

Hoods main concern about the issue is accidental overdoses, due to how little fentanyl could be lethal. According to Hood, the LD50 is not known, meaning the potency of fentanyl that could kill has not been discovered.

“Less than the size of a grain of sugar could be more than enough to make fentanyl lethal,” Hood said. When Hood was asked if he thought fentanyl could become a problem in our community he said, “At some point yes, it’s worse by Wichita Falls, because it’s by Dallas, but other things have come here to.”

Hood stressed that he was more concerned with his student going off to college and purchasing drugs from friends thinking they are painkillers or Adderall, and accidentally getting a drug laced with fentanyl. “I just want everyone to be safe,” Hood said.

For more information, reach out to Nurse Molly or Mr. Hood.

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