Fentanyl and Drug Overdose Resources
Drug overdoses, both fatal and nonfatal, have become an epidemic in Missouri, including here in Clay County.
In 2020, the CDC reported 76% of drug deaths in people ages 14-23 involved fentanyl.
Fentanyl poisoning is the most common type of overdose that often leads to death. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl, equal to 10 to15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose. Seven out of ten DEA-tested pills laced with fentanyl are potentially deadly. Illegally manufactured fentanyl is often found laced in heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and in counterfeit pills that are sold as something else - like Xanax, Percocet, or Oxycodone. People who purchase these counterfeit and illegal drugs have no idea they are taking fentanyl and often end up being poisoned, leading to overdose and death.
To help fight the fentanyl problem, you can:
- Talk to your children. Tell them that ANY pill or drug they get from a friend or purchased online or off of the street could be a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl. Only take medication that is prescribed by a doctor, purchased at a pharmacy, and approved by parents or guardians.
- Learn about the fentanyl crisis and help spread the word that this is a dangerous situation, using the below resources as a starting-point.
Parent Resources
- Parent Up KC
- Parent Up is a Northland organization based in Clay, Platte, and Ray counties in and around Kansas City, Missouri. Parent Up strives to eliminate youth substance use.
- Fake Pills: What You Need to Know
- Get Smart About Drugs: A Resource for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- Song For Charlie
- Raises awareness about fake pills made of fentanyl, among youth and parents. It includes video resources, flyers, posters, stickers, and social media content.
- Wyatt’s Story
- Wyatt tragically passed away at age 23 after taking a pill he thought was Xanax, but was actually laced with the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. By sharing Wyatt's story, his mother Julie hopes to save other families from tragedy and heartache.
- Buying Drugs Online – What You Should Know & How to Protect Your Kids
- A Resource for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- 10 Strategies to Prevent Your Young Person from Using Drugs
- A Resource for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- Severe Opioid Overdoses Rose by Nearly a Third During Pandemic
- A Resource for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- Growing Up Drug Free - a Parent's Guide to Prevention
- U.S. Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the U.S. Department of Education
- Drop the F Bomb
- This website offers tips and resources for talking about fentanyl with your kids. Don't wait. Start the conversation today.
Videos
- Just One Pill Can Kill: A Message to Students by Students
- One Pill Can Kill: A Fight for Fentanyl Awareness
- What’s a Fentapill
- Why are there so many Fentapills?
- Dead on Arrival
- Deceptive drugs made of fentanyl are killing young people across America at an alarming rate. Fentanyl is infiltrating our communities through counterfeit pills, cocaine and any other street drugs you can name. They are sold anonymously through social media and delivered within minutes. Learn about this epidemic from those who have lost loved ones as a result of a fentanyl overdose.
- Protect yourself from the dangers of fentanyl
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- Fake and Fatal: Cal’s Story
- In December 2020, Jennifer and Jon Epstein lost their son, Cal, to fentanyl poisoning. Just six months earlier, Cal had graduated from Sunset High School in Beaverton, Oregon. He bought what he thought was Oxycontin from a drug dealer on Snapchat. Instead, he got a fake pill made from cheap, potent and deadly fentanyl.
Helpful Websites
- Clay County Public Health Center
- Local resources/support and how to obtain free Naloxone (Narcan)
- Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
- Drug Overdose Dashboard and Statistics for Missouri
- Department of Justice Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Available Publications (can request hard copies)
- flickr – fake pill and drug photos
- Just Think Twice - For Teens
- One Pill Can Kill DEA – Awareness Campaign
- www.GetSmartAboutDrugs.com
- A Resource for Parents, Educators, and Caregivers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
- www.OperationPrevention.com
- The DEA has joined forces with Discovery Education to provide no-cost online tools that support every member of the community with the power of prevention. Help kickstart life-saving conversations today with standards-aligned English & Spanish-language resources for students in grades 3-12, plus additional resources designed for educators, families, and professionals.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Stop Overdose
- Facts on Fentanyl, polysubstance use, naloxone, stigma reduction and implementation toolkits.