Did you know that it takes just two milligrams of fentanyl to kill a human adult? Did you also know that the death rates from fentanyl overdoses have increased by 700% since 2019?

After the “1 Pill Can Kill” assembly ended on Friday, I realized how badly fentanyl is affecting people around the world. It broke my heart to hear the stories of two kids, Zach and Jewels, who died from fentanyl overdoses.

I can’t imagine the weight of grief their families must carry. I also learned that drug dealers make fake prescription pills and try to sell them to young people. Most of these pills are made with fillers and fentanyl. These dealers are targeting our age group with fake prescription drugs.

These drug dealers only care about making money from these dangerous pills. Many people even find these pills scattered on the streets. We need to spread the word and make the world more aware of this situation.

Many people also use pills to cope with whatever is going on in their lives. There’s a chance these pills contain fentanyl—and fentanyl does not give second chances. It is the number one substance linked to overdose deaths. In fact, fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in the United States.

Fentanyl is also 50–100 times stronger than morphine. One solution to decreasing the number of fentanyl deaths is a medicine called Naloxone. Naloxone is a spray used when someone overdoses on fentanyl.

Another solution is to create fentanyl education programs so people know what to do in an overdose situation. Improving mental health support can also help prevent fentanyl deaths. Sometimes people use substances to cope with their struggles, and there is always a chance one of those substances contains a lethal dose of fentanyl. If we encourage people to participate in wellness programs and learn healthy coping strategies, they may overcome their substance use before it becomes deadly.

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