Fentanyl and other opioid drugs will be the focus of Keller ISD’s “Over the Overdoses” presentation to the community Nov. 8.

The details

According to a district website, parents and guardians have the opportunity to learn from Eduardo Chavez, a Drug Enforcement Administration special agent, on the dangers of fentanyl and other opioid drugs. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Keller ISD Education Center, located at 350 Keller Parkway in Keller.

The context

According to the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare, fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is one of the most common drugs involved in fatal overdoses.

A fentanyl fact sheet from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing states the following statistics about fentanyl abuse and youth overdoses:

• Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times as potent as heroin and morphine.
• Between 2020 and 2021, fentanyl was the primary cause of the 20% increase in drug overdose deaths among youth ages 14-18 years.
• 77% of teen drug overdose deaths were linked to fentanyl in 2021.

According to the NCMW fact sheet, these overdoses were due to fake or counterfeit pills that were made to look like prescription medications and were laced with illegally manufactured fentanyl. Teens and preteens typically purchase fake or counterfeit pills online that are often advertised and sold over social media.