I was in Colorado in May, and my daughter in law Deborah, had just had a serious talk with my oldest grandchild, Lennon, about fentanyl. I'm not sure what precipitated the conversation, but at 12 years of age, it's probably the right time to have the conversation. The bottom line of the conversation was to never, never, never, take any pill from anyone! They may say it's an aspirin and it's not. They may not even know what it really is. It could be fentanyl, the deadly drug that killed more than 80,000 people in 2021 and is on course to kill more this year. It's not marijuana. Fentanyl is deadly.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, approved for treating severe pain, typically advanced cancer pain. It is 50-100 times more potent than morphine. It is prescribed in the form of transdermal patches or lozenges, and can be diverted for misuse and abuse in the United States.
Most overdoses of fentanyl in the U.S. are linked to illegally made fentanyl. It is sold through illegal drug market for its heroin-like effect. It is often mixed with heroin and/or cocaine, with or without the user's knowledge.
What can be done? Talk to your children, as Deborah has done, at an early age, and talk to them often. Make them realize that there are no second chances as there might be with other drugs. Expand the distribution and use of naloxone and overdose prevention education. Intervene early with individuals at highest risk for overdose.
Bottom line, talk to young children. Know who your kids are hanging out with. Communication and education can hopefully keep our youth out of harm's way.
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