Santa Cruz Standard

Washington, D.C. – On July 12, United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) alongside Reps. Doug Lamborn (CO-05), Joe Neguse (CO-02), Rick Allen (GA-12), Don Davis (NC-01), Jake LaTurner (KS-02), Dean Phillips (MN-03), Austin Scott (GA-08), and Daniel Webster (FL-11), reintroduced the Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act of 2023. This bill will allow states to use the $146 million in grant funding through the Department of Health and Human Services to educate children and provide training and naloxone to teachers and school employees to save lives.

“In 2021, fentanyl accounted for 1 in 5 deaths of young people in California, a heartbreaking trend that will accelerate if we fail to be proactive,” said Rep. Panetta. “The bipartisan Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act would equip schools with the resources and training needed to intervene in the event of an overdose and ensure our young people are educated on the dangers of this deadly drug.  The federal government needs to do its part, alongside state and local governments, to combat this scourge, protect public health, and save lives.”

"Fentanyl is a horrendous drug that has crept into our homes and schools. It’s produced and trafficked by China and other countries that are interested in destroying the lives of Americans,” said Rep. Lamborn. “Educating students and providing lifesaving Narcan to schools will help us combat the Fentanyl crisis in our own communities.”

“As Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus, I am committed to fighting the nationwide spike in fentanyl-related overdoses and drug poisonings—an epidemic that is not only devastating our communities, but tragically impacting our kids,” said Rep. Neguse. “The Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act equips schools with the tools necessary to confront this issue head-on, increasing awareness and improving emergency response tactics.”

“Before I was first sworn into office in 2019, I heard from constituents of all backgrounds about the toll opioids were taking on their families and our communities,” said Rep. Dean Phillips. “While stemming the domestic and cross-border flow of deadly opioids will take time, we can prevent overdose deaths immediately. Overdoses claimed the lives of almost 1,000 adolescents last year, and requiring schools to have naloxone available for emergencies is an inexpensive, safe, and proven way to protect our children.”

The Protecting Kids from Fentanyl Act will allow states to utilize existing grant funds within the Preventative Health and Health Services Block Grant to:

• Purchase naloxone or other opioid antagonists for use in educational institutions
• Provide training to school nurses, teachers, school administrators, and school resource officers on how to administer naloxone
• Provide fentanyl awareness classes or materials to students so that they may better understand the dangers of fentanyl and its presence in counterfeit pills and tainted drugs

Background:

• In 2022, fentanyl killed more than 70,000 people in the United States, making up more than 50% of all overdose deaths. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than Heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine and is often used to cut other drugs because it is cheaper and less is necessary for the same effects.
• In El Paso County fentanyl overdoses rose from 21 in 2019 to 120 in 2023. According to the El Paso County Coroner, 85% of accidental overdoses in 2020 involved fentanyl.
• Teenagers are increasingly being exposed to fentanyl through counterfeit versions of medications like oxycodone (Percocet, Oxycontin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), and benzodiazepines.
• Illicit fentanyl is powerful, easily made, and easy to transport, making it a popular and profitable narcotic for drug traffickers.
• Two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on a person's body size, tolerance, and past usage.
• Teens often end up buying fake pills that look like commonly used prescription medications but are contaminated with fentanyl. It is estimated that at least one-third of those illicitly manufactured pills are contaminated with fentanyl.
• A recent study found that fentanyl-related deaths among adolescents increased from 253 in 2019 to 680 in 2020. In 2021, 77% of all teen overdose deaths involved fentanyl.
• Drug dealers are relying on social media to target teens and sell both illicit and counterfeit prescription drugs. Over a two-month span in 2021, the DEA identified 76 cases that involved drug traffickers that used emojis and code words to advertise drugs on social media apps and other platforms used to sell items online.

Original source can be found here