Written by Lev Finzi
Just last year, Fentanyl was the leading cause of deaths in 18-45 year olds in the United States of America. The death rate from fentanyl has doubled each year, for the past four years.
Now that summer is right around the corner, children have more time to go out and socialize with friends, and some activities that can be indulged in are drug use. Sometimes the drugs ingested could be laced with fentanyl, as shown from the death rates and causes of death.
Jim Desmond, a member of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, held a special event where parents learned about different techniques to make sure that the children stay safe from the fatal drug. The meeting was attended by officials from the United States Attorney’s Office, and they explained to parents how kids are purchasing drugs using popular social media apps.
San Diego is just one of the many areas in the world that has been affected by the drug. It’s estimated that 873% increase in deaths from fentanyl infused drugs just over the past 5 years. Officials report that they believe that 50% of the drugs that are being spread around on the streets are laced with fentanyl.
Just one of many heartbreaking stories of children falling victim to this terrible crime was Matt. He was a 4.0 student that had his whole life ahead of him. Unfortunately, during finals week, Matt decided to take a Percocet. This specific Percocet was laced with the tiniest amount of fentanyl. Matt was found dead from overdose.
According to the CDC, fentanyl is one of, if not the most dangerous drug in the world. It is 50 times stronger than common heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. Even the smallest measurement of this drug is enough to kill someone. And its a pandemic that has spread through the Country.
Photo Cred: NBC Bay Area
