Here’s what children need to know:
The CDC has taken a bizarre approach to the fentanyl crisis. Although the agency’s official fact sheet warns of the deadly risks of the substance, it also suggests the public need only use test strips to ensure the drugs they take are safe.
But this advice is dangerous. Though test strips tout a 96 percent accuracy rate, that’s true only if the tested sample reflects the entire contents of a pill. As we saw in the tragic case of Breanna Scott, two halves of the same pill led to two radically different fates.
The CDC also recommends the nasal spray Narcan as a lifesaving cure for fentanyl overdose victims. Narcan can, has, and will continue to save lives, but it’s no panacea. For one, stocking it inside American schools—a gargantuan and costly task—will do nothing to help the 82 percent of teens who overdose at their or someone else’s home. What’s more, thirty percent of fatal adolescent overdoses happen when the victim is alone. Narcan is useless if no one is around to administer it.
As part of the organization I launched last year, Not Even Once, I’ve spoken to over 15,000 middle and high school students to educate them on the dangers of this drug. Part of my reason is personal. When I was eight years old, I lost my uncle Mike to his prolonged battle with illegal drugs on the streets. Then, his poison was heroin. But even that dangerous drug is nothing compared to what kids are facing now.
Γίνετε ο πρώτος που θα απαντήσετε σε αυτήν τη Γενική Συζήτηση .