The silent killer

“Okay fine, just one hit.” I hear those words all around me as many other teenagers are experimenting with different drugs such as marajuana and vapes. But just one hit leads to another, and the another leads to addiction. That one hit you take from a vape has a high chance of being laced with fentanyl which comes as a shock to many. Fentanyl can be disguised in marajuana, opioids, heroin, vapes, and cocaine. Fentanyl is a silent killer as it is not in every drug but no one can tell which drug is laced with it as it does not have a distinct smell or taste. The only way to tell if something is laced with fentanyl is to use a fentanyl test strip. 

According to the DEA, six out of 10 fake prescription pills seized and analyzed across the country in 2022 contained a fatal dose of fentanyl. Symptoms of Fentanyl exposure include euphoria, loss of consciousness, choking sounds, and pinpointed pupils. If you have been exposed, call 911 immediately. Not only is fentanyl toxic to the victim but it is also toxic to the first responders as they have a chance of getting exposed too. FORGE Health claims “First responders are most likely to encounter manufactured fentanyl. Skin contact can cause toxicity as inhalation or accidentally being exposed to it anywhere on a person’s body that cannot be seen. Even with training, it is not possible to always avoid exposure.” In this case Narcan training can be useful to help save lives.

Naloxone — known by the brand name, Narcan — is the only opioid overdose reversal drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration. From April 17 to May 23, the Town of Hempstead EMS staff will be providing Narcan training for those interested in learning how to save victims of overdose. According to Verywell Mind, an information source on mental health topics, “Statistical modeling from 2020 estimates that 21% of opioid overdose deaths could be avoided with high rates of naloxone distribution in a community, largely driven by everyday people knowing how to use the medication and having it on hand.” 

Fentanyl that is not prescribed and bought from a pharmacy is very likely to contain fentanyl. Fentanyl can be prescribed as a pain reliever or anesthetic. Illegal fentanyl can be used as a nasal spray, blotting paper, injection, eye droppers, or rainbow pills. Dr. Andrew Kolodny, medical director of opioid policy research at Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management claims that “Now that the drug supply is so dangerous, all it takes is trying an illicit opioid just once and you can easily die of an overdose.”

As these fentanyl overdoses are becoming more frequent in society, narcan training should be taught in every school to both students and teachers in order to prevent future overdoses. Adolescents should be more aware of what they are using as most only think fentanyl is in pills but it can also be in vapes and marajuana. Don’t take that one hit, as that one hit can lead to your last breath.

Eden Goldberg is student contributor, a sophomore at John F. Kennedy High School.