Three students, three pills, and three deaths all due to Fentanyl. Fentanyl is a scientist-made synthetic opioid that is very deadly if not prescribed. It is one of the top leading drugs involved with drug overdose. In the past year, 2% of teens in Colorado have misused pain medication. According to the drug abuse statistics for Colorado, kids are starting to get ahold of drugs like that a lot more.

This is an issue that is happening nationally and has felt the effects. With students accessing social media, they can get ahold of more things including drugs such as fentanyl. District 11 has created a campaign called “One pill can kill” that they are using to make students aware of what the consequences could be if they take a pill that they aren’t fully informed about. In an interview with a Coronado counselor, Ms. Bjork, she had expressed that “prevention in education is the most effective way to help.”
There are numerous reasons that students can be involved with this drug. Some students may not know that there is fentanyl in the drugs they may be already be doing. Since fentanyl can be found in many different forms, it has been put in various street drugs including, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. Another reason this could be happening is peer pressure: many teens want to be liked by their peers.
Fentanyl can be taken in many ways, and students should be weary of what they don’t know. Most importantly, it can kill if too much is taken. This could take up to multiple doses of Narcan to stop the overdose. In an interview with Officer Thompson, Coronado High School’s SRO, he had said, “If you’re a teenager be cautious with things you’re unaware of.”