We are sharing a few resources related to concerns regarding the growing fentanyl crisis in our country. Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death among 18-45 year old and teen deaths from teens taking pills that look like prescription pills, such as Xanax, Percocet and Adderall, but unknowingly containing fentanyl has more than doubled in the last two years. These fake pills have recently appeared in the Waunakee Community, as well as led to the unfortunate death of a 2021 Graduate from Waunakee Community High School, who passed in his dorm from just ONE PILL that looked like a prescription Percocet pill, but was 100% fentanyl. We encourage you to have the conversations with your students that One Pill Can Kill and that fentanyl is also being discovered in Vape Pens, Marijuana and all illicit drugs. .. .
Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than Heroin and can cause instant addiction and only takes 2 mg, enough to fit on the tip of a pencil, to cause death.
The first resource is a parent flier recently released from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The second resource is a news story from Good Morning America, which describes how young people are being targeted by this drug, often through social media. We have fortunately not seen fentanyl at the High School but want to make sure that parents/families are aware of these ongoing concerns, as we are aware of other school districts in the state who have lost high school students to fentanyl poisonings.
Please have conversations with your students regarding not taking any pills that are not prescribed to them. We encourage you to educate them that One Pill Can Kill and that fentanyl is also being discovered in Vape Pens, Marijuana and all illicit drugs. Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) has a comprehensive resource page, including talking points for parents/guardians/adults.
We appreciate your support with this challenging topic.
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