Fentanyl Causing Teenage Deaths
Since the beginning of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, teenage deaths caused by drug overdoses have more than tripled in California (addictionresource.net). Upon further examination, most of the deaths were caused by traces of fentanyl, a medical opioid for acute pain, that was found in the drugs. Further research showed that most of the teenagers that had taken fentanyl were unaware of what they were consuming – many believed the pill to be prescription medication such as Xanax, or a less potent drug like heroin (addictionresource.net). Due to this misconception, many teenagers have overdosed on fentanyl, causing reduced blood pressure, respiratory depression (an inability to rid the body of enough carbon dioxide), seizures or death. The rapid spread of severe opioids can be credited to drug cartels; in order to make more profit, many have resorted to tailoring their drugs to target teenagers and have made their drugs accessible so that teenagers can easily buy them online or at school.
Drug cartels have recently begun targeting teenagers because they are one of the groups that COVID-19 impacted the most. Depression, anxiety and other disorders have increased dramatically among the younger generation that felt isolated and faced extreme stress from school or home during the lockdown. Cartels exploit this vulnerability by producing drugs that look like prescription pills or ones that come in vivid colors. This is an intentional move designed to counter the preconception of dealers selling drugs in back alleys. When they see pills that look like something a doctor would administer, or a rainbow pill that resembles candy, teenagers instinctively trust that these drugs are safer than they were told.
“[Companies] are making [the pills] look like drug pills,” said Physio/Anatomy H and Physio/Anatomy teacher Kurt Barnecilla. “And they’re slipping in one or two of these fentanyl drug pills that people think… are prescription drugs.”
Drug cartels also produce drug cocktails – a combination of multiple drugs (ex. heroin and fentanyl) – and sell them to buyers without their knowledge or consent of all the substances the drug cocktails contain. Drug dealers use this tactic often because the potency of fentanyl means that the buyer becomes addicted faster. Greater addiction means greater demand, which brings greater profit to the dealer and the cartels. However, this tactic is extremely dangerous to the user. While fentanyl’s potency means a greater addiction, it also means that the effects are more severe. An unsuspecting user could take an amount of substance that would be appropriate if the drug was pure heroin, but would cause an overdose if the substance contained fentanyl. As more drug dealers begin to use this tactic, the number of deaths caused by accidental overdosing continues to increase.
Teenagers can access drugs so easily because they have many options open to them. According to the CDC, 21.8% of high school students said that they had bought or been given drugs from a dealer on school property. Other students reported getting their drugs from fake online pharmacies, the Dark Web or social media. Fake online pharmacies are commonly used by active drug abusers to get illegal drugs at a cheap price without a prescription. However, fake pharmacies are one of the most prevalent scams to steal credit card information. Since most people that use fake pharmacies are desperate to get drugs, they ignore the warning signs that would be obvious to others, making them easy targets. While fake online pharmacies are dangerous, the Dark Web is even more so. It is a part of the Internet that is hidden intentionally and can only be accessed using specific search engines like Tor. Some teenagers like using this method because purchasing drugs on the Dark Web is simple, completely untraceable and very efficient. However, most teenagers get their drugs from buyers that advertise on social media, which is a big cause of concern for parents as most teenagers of today have unmoderated access to social media, making drugs extremely easy to buy. This accessibility is one of the main reasons why so many teenagers are are dying from fentanyl.
“Technology makes it easy,” said Barnecilla. “It makes it easy and accessible.”
As the number of teenage overdoses continues to rise, many adults raise their concerns about what we can do to stop the opioid epidemic. Many agree that we can work to raise awareness about the dangers of drugs, and how to avoid them. Additionally, the FDA is working to make naloxone products an over-the-counter product. Many naloxone products can act as an antidote to drug overdoses, so the hope is that this accessibility to an antidote should lessen the number of deaths. “I think it is important that adults talk about [drugs].” PE Dance, Choreo, Coed Choreo and Speech & Debate teacher Kimi Hendrick said. “Especially in Palos Verdes, we have this [stereotype] that [drugs] are for bad kids, but it can happen to anybody. I am a parent of two seniors, and I do not want them or any of their friends to die; I do not want any of my students to die. It is scary.”
