Fentanyl Information for Families

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid frequently that doctors prescribe to treat patients with severe pain, such as those who have had surgery or are in the advanced stages of cancer.  It is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.

In recent years, more and more people have been using illegal forms of fentanyl as a recreational drug.  Illegal fentanyl comes in the form of nasal spray, powder, blotter paper, and pills. Illegal fentanyl is also being mixed into other street drugs - such as Adderall, OxyContin, or Percocet. Unfortunately users often don't realize they are taking fentanyl because it is has no odor, taste, or color.  

As the use of fentanyl increases, deaths from overdoses are also increasing. In fact, according to the US Drug Enforcement Administration, fentantly is now responsible for more deaths of Americans under the age of 50 than any other cause - including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide, and accidents.

Here in California, public health experts identified more than 6000 deaths from fentanyl in 2021. More than 220 of those were among teens ages 15-19. Put another way, fentanyl overdose is the fastest growing cause of death for young people in California.

The California Department of Public Health is urging all school districts to be prepared for potential overdoses on their campuses. So far, no AUSD student has overdosed at one of our sites. As a district, however, we understand the urgency of being prepared, and, during the 2022-23 school year, we:

• Procured and distributed Narcan kits to all of our school sites
• Provided voluntary training to our health clerks, office, and technical workers on how to administer Narcan
• Shared resources with our principals and teachers about fentanyl
• Provided curricula to high schools for educating students on the dangers of fentanyl.

Witnessing a fentanyl overdose can be scary. It's important to know, however, that there is a medication called "Naloxone" (or "Narcan") that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. Narcan can be  administered via a nasal spray and is very easy to use, even for people who aren't medical professionals.  And Narcan causes no harm if it is administered to someone who is not having an opioid overdose.

All AUSD school sites have Narcan kits. Community members can buy the kits at local pharmacies, some grocery stores, and on-line. 

People overdosing on opioids typically exhibit at least some of the following symptoms:

• Very small pupils
• Falling asleep or losing consciousness
• Slow, shallow, or no breathing
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Limp body
• Cold or clammy skin
• Gray or blue skin, lips, or nails
• Slurred speech (or inability to speak)