Fentanyl is a potent and deadly drug that has been causing an epidemic of opioid-related deaths across America. With an 89% increase in fentanyl-related overdoses in Texas from 2020 to 2021 and a 26% increase from 2022 to 2023, the situation has become a crisis. And just last year, 44% of the state’s drug-related deaths have been traced back to fentanyl.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is 100 times more potent than morphine, with just two milligrams being enough to kill a person depending on their body size. A kilogram has the potential to kill up to 500,000 people.
“The immediate dangers of an overdose are decreases in your respiratory rates, which is what most people die of; they stop breathing,” school nurse Lindsay McDavid said. “Other things that immediately happen is that your pupils pinpoint and get really small, you might feel like you’re gonna throw up, or really lethargic, and not really know what’s going on.”
Seeing the aftermaths of these dangerous substances first hand, Student Resource Officer Glen Hubbard warns about the dangers of fentanyl.
“Several students have died,” Hubbard said. “Several students have been in the hospital in comas and things like that. Everybody can be affected by it, their family members and other siblings.”
To ensure students do not endanger themselves or their peers, campus administration has protocols in place to deal with substance abuse-related issues.
“The first part of what we do is we try to be proactive, as much as we can, and make sure everybody is aware of not only the dangers of using, but the consequences that go along with getting caught here on campus,” assistant principal Tyler Wicke said. “If we do have any activities involving any drugs on campus, it generally results in a placement at an alternative location, where we try to do some teaching pieces.”
Behind the scenes, the Frisco PD is working to eliminate the root of the problem.
“Right now, we are working with our narcotics and other agencies around the area and targeting dealers and things,” Hubbard said. “We’re trying our best to get a hand on it and get all the information we can to try to stem the problem.”
Fentanyl can not only have devastating consequences on one’s body, but can also leave a lasting impact on loved ones as well.
“My brother overdosed on fentanyl three years ago,” Frisco ISD parent Kimberly Lea said. “He did have a history of drug abuse and had gone to rehab, was sober for about a year, and then decided to dabble in drugs again. He went for his drug of choice and did not know fentanyl would be in it. The loss of a loved one is very hard. It’s very difficult for my dad, he’s lonely. My mom passed away six months after my brother because she was heartbroken.”
It’s an all too familiar tale for healthcare professionals.
“Kids, adolescents, and young adults might think that it might be something fun to try, and it’s not, because it’s really really dangerous, and it’s more powerful than any other opioid there is,” McDavid said. “A lot of people get dependent on it because of pain. So they’ll start off with some kind of medication, and they need more and more of it, and then they may end up taking something stronger like fentanyl.”
