Skip to content
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • The Alabama Baptist
  • The Baptist Paper
  • Login
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Donate
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close this search box.
The Alabama Baptist
Search
Close this search box.
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Latest News
  • Trending
  • Editorials
  • Classifieds
  • Free Email Newsletter

Youth epidemic: Fentanyl killing more and more teens as drug’s availability soars

  • January 30, 2023
  • Denise George
  • Church Resources, Faith and Family, Latest News, Youth
Unsplash photo

Youth epidemic: Fentanyl killing more and more teens as drug’s availability soars

EDITOR’S NOTE — Across the nation, children and teens are plagued by a host of escalating tragedies. In this series, we look at several issues facing America’s endangered youth and offer ways you and your church can help care for the next generation. For more stories in this series, click here.

Drug overdoses, particularly those laced with the deadly drug Fentanyl, are increasingly killing the nation’s children and youth in staggering numbers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2021, more than 107,000 people in America died from a drug overdose. It was a record high and a 15% increase from 2020, according to the CDC.

That’s one person every five minutes, and for the first time, the overdose crisis is reaching teenagers, according to Joe Friedman, a public health researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Fatal overdoses among adolescents doubled in 2020, an increase of 94%, according to the Journal of the American Medical Association.  

JAMA information also indicated that the rise in deaths wasn’t because greater numbers of teens are using drugs, but instead because of the dangerous and highly potent forms of fentanyl they use. In 2021, 77% percent of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl.

Deadly mix

Drug makers are reportedly secretly mixing the cheaper fentanyl with other popular drugs to increase their profits, and they are selling these deadly drugs to unsuspecting children and youth.

Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said, “An increase in illicit pills containing fentanyl points to a new and increasingly dangerous period in the United States.”

In February, a 13-year-old student at the Sports and Medical Science Academy in Hartford, Connecticut, collapsed in the gym and died from a fentanyl overdose. Police found 40 bags of fentanyl in two school classrooms and another 100 bags in the boy’s bedroom.

Then in March, two high school students in Portland, Oregon, died within 24 hours of each other after overdosing on fentanyl in the form of counterfeit pills.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid like morphine, but it’s 50 to 100 times more potent, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. It is prescribed legally for people who have undergone serious surgery and/or who suffer intense physical pain. 

When a person overdoses on fentanyl, his breathing can slow or stop, decreasing the amount of oxygen to the brain and often leading to a coma, permanent brain damage or death.

Fentanyl is so lethal that health officials recommend wearing gloves when handling a suspected opioid and avoiding mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a victim of overdose. As little as two milligrams of fentanyl can kill a person. One kilogram of fentanyl has the potential to kill 500,000 people.

Counterfeit pills are difficult to recognize. Many counterfeit pills are made to look like prescription opioids such as oxycodone (Oxycontin, Percocet), hydrocodone (Vicodin) and alprazolam (Xanax); or stimulants like amphetamines (Adderall). The only safe medications are those prescribed by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist.

How to help

How can you help keep your children and youth safe from overdose deaths? Here are some suggestions:

  • If you suspect a person has ingested fentanyl (a person’s breathing and heart rate have slowed, they don’t respond to your voice and their pupils are small), call 911 immediately. Fentanyl is fast acting, especially if it’s inhaled through the nose. 
  • If available, administer naloxone (Narcan), a nasal spray available at most pharmacies, to help reverse the effect of opioids overdose. 
  • Become a parent, grandparent, pastor, church, school or community leader who is well-informed about the current flood of fentanyl-laced medications available on the illegal drug market. Stay alert to what is happening in the U.S.
  • Bring people together, holding seminars in your churches, schools, and communities to teach them the symptoms of drug abuse, effective ways to respond to children and youth who abuse drugs and/or have overdosed and how to create new and effective ways to prevent and stop illegal drug use.
  • As a parent, be aware of your child’s daily schedule, where he goes and the company he keeps. Talk to your children and youth about the deadly risk of illegal drug use. Watch for the warning signs of drug use and learn how to prevent drug-related deaths. Get involved in their schools.

Resources: 

  • Download the Department of Justice/Drug Fact Sheet on Fentanyl at: https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-06/Fentanyl-2020_0.pdf
  • Read: Preventing Drug Use among Children and Adolescents: A Research-Based Guide for Parents, Educators, and Community Leaders, National Institute on Drug Abuse: https://nida.nih.gov/sites/default/files/preventingdruguse_2.pdfvvvv

Share with others:

Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on linkedin
LinkedIn
Share on email
Email

Latest News

  • Shades Mountain Baptist hosting egg hunt for individuals with disabilities
    Shades Mountain Baptist hosting egg hunt for individuals with disabilities
    March 31, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Attorney exhorts churches to be proactive in sexual abuse prevention
    Attorney exhorts churches to be proactive in sexual abuse prevention
    March 31, 2023/
    0 Comments
  • Registration opens for 2023 Southern Christian Writers Conference
    Registration opens for 2023 Southern Christian Writers Conference
    March 31, 2023/
    0 Comments

Sign up for the Highlights

Get all latest content delivered to your email a few times a month.
Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

Related Posts

Theology 101 — The Spirit of Giftedness

October 26, 2022

Last week, Theology 101 focused on Galatians 5:22 which directs us to seven basic qualities of the spiritual fruit the

pink flower plant inside room

Halloween outreach tips for connecting with community

October 24, 2022

By Chip Warren Albertville, Ala. For a number of years, my family and I were involved in our church’s fall

Explore the Bible Sunday School Lesson for October 30

October 24, 2022
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

By Robert Olsen, Ph.D. Associate Professor of Christian Studies, University of Mobile The Sin Harvested Hosea 10:5–15 False religion (5–8)

Bible Studies for Life Sunday School Lesson for October 30

October 24, 2022
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

By Rony Kozman, Ph.D. Assistant professor of Biblical Studies, Samford University Study God’s Word 2 Timothy 2:14–19, 22–26 Be diligent

Want to receive news highlights throughout the week? Sign up here!

Email is required Email is not valid
Thanks for your subscription.
Failed to subscribe, please contact admin.

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
The Alabama Baptist
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Copyright © 2023 The Alabama Baptist, Inc.
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
  • Privacy Policy/Terms of Use
  • Help
  • FAQ
Email:
news@thealabamabaptist.org

About

  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries
  • Free Email Newsletter
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Our Story
  • Awards and Recognitions
  • Affiliations
  • Partner Links
  • Advertise
  • Internships
  • Find Churches
  • Classifieds
  • Archived: Special Resources
  • Special Events
  • Photo Galleries

Explore

  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos
  • Latest News
  • Archive
  • Sunday School Lessons
  • Editorials
  • Alabama News
  • Podcasts
  • Obituaries
  • Theology 101
  • Someone You Should Know
  • Rashional Thoughts
  • Persecuted Church
  • Heroes of the Faith
  • Reader Response
  • About Alabama
  • Videos

Submissions

  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy
  • Story Ideas
  • Staff Change or News Item
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Reader Submissions
  • What Are You Reading?
  • Obituary
  • Correction / Clarification
  • Submission Policy

Subscribe

  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service
  • Start a new subscription
  • Renew your subscription
  • Start a new gift subscription
  • Start a new group subscription
  • Start a new subscription at the group rate
  • Subscribe to the TAB News app
  • Update your subscriber list
  • Subscribe to Highlights
  • Register for online access
  • Hosted Church
  • Manage Account | Customer Service

Log In

Lost your password?

Log Out?

Lost your password?

Log in

Become a part of our community!
Forgot your password? Get help

Reset password

Recover your password
A password reset link will be e-mailed to you.
Back to
Login
×
Close Panel