ACTUALLY,
to be more exact, ‘Fake Pills and Fatal Overdoes!’ That was the title of a Fentanyl lesson for middle and high school students in one school district.
They decided to use ‘Fake & Fatal’ to raise awareness and take action due to youth being exposed to deadly, drug threats.
And, those drug threats are more deadly now than ever before due to the changing drug environment, especially with Fentanyl contaminating everything, specifically pills. ( Percocet, Xanax, Oxy and even Adderall )
In short, kids are in crisis.
I believe we can all agree that statement is true. And, it will only get worse due to some youth self-medicating and seeking out pills and others using pills for different reasons.
Youth need to know the risks that they face and those risks are deadly.
They are in much need of our help.
Now is the time to work together and create emergency plans to keep our youth healthy, safe and ready to learn.
Yes, schools are the front lines to equip youth with awareness, warnings and use a multi-layered approaches ( including parents ) for drug education and prevention with sharing about drug use, misuse, tolerance and dependence, which can lead to addiction.
BUT, we have to remember, one mistake could be their last because ‘One Pill Can Kill!’ ( D.E.A. )
And, we have to step outside the old box with catchy slogans, one-liners and/or scare tactics without the real facts.
We know carrying Naloxone, even allowing students, does not enable drug use.
In addition, if a youth is revived with Naloxone, there has to be follow-up treatment, along with support groups once the youth returns to school.
All youth could benefit from student peer-to-peer programs to assist and direct their peers to school and community resources. Students listen to students.
Also, creating stronger connections for youth to build positive relationships to ensure their safety and health.
This would be part of the multi-tiered approach that schools and communities can initiate as an action plan for prevention measures.
And, those prevention measures have to be fact based with current drug trends and especially addressing social platform advertisements for retail drugs ( pills ) sold online using code emojis.
Time is of the essence. We have to push out this drug education and prevention strategies and be proactive.
Finally, I want to thank Carmen Ashley, Chief of the Program Development and Services Branch in the Division of Adolescent and School Health, with the CDC and her sending this link to a very informative webinar.
Many of the concepts I presented in this composition are reinforced in this webinar.
Let’s work together to arm our youth with vital information to protect them.
We owe it to them.
Thank you,
# Never say, Not My Kid
Michael Carson
V.P. & Recovery Specialist, MYHouse of Mat-Su
Chair of the Mat-Su Opioid Task Force
State Opioid Steering Committee
Comentários