What Do Your Teens Know About Fentanyl?

Your teens probably know more about fentanyl than you think. If they haven’t learned about this deadly substance yet, they will. Make sure you’re the one to teach them.

3 Things Your Teen Should Know About Fentanyl

It’s addictive.

Like any opioid, fentanyl triggers the brain’s endorphins. These neurotransmitters make people feel good, and who wouldn’t get addicted to feeling good? Your body releases endorphins when you exercise, eat chocolate, and laugh.

Fentanyl provides a way for teens to release endorphins that takes zero effort.

Soon, you build a tolerance, and you take more and more to find the same euphoria you experienced that first time. This slippery slope is one way in which addicts wind up overdosing.

You might not even know you’re taking it.

Okay, fentanyl is bad, but your teen would never use it. They might drink alcohol or smoke pot, but they know where to draw the line. It’s harmless fun. You engaged in the same behavior when you were young and turned out okay.

Besides the fact that today’s marijuana is nothing like it was a few decades ago, it’s too easy for your teen to take something without even realizing it. There are no regulations when it comes to illegal drugs. Someone could easily contaminate one drug with fentanyl, and—boom—your child has overdosed.

Haldimand-Norfolk in Ontario didn’t release this warning about fentanyl-laced marijuana for nothing.

It’s deadly.

Fentanyl is more deadly than heroin or morphine. Just 2 mg can kill, depending on the user’s size, and, again, it’s impossible to know exactly what or how much you’re taking. The DEA has tested some pills at just .02 mg of fentanyl, while others contain 5.1 mg.

As the DEA mentions on its website, dealers like to cut other drugs with fentanyl because the substance is relatively cheap and easy to make. The CDC cites synthetic opioids, and fentanyl in particular, as the primary catalyst for the recent rise in overdose deaths.

It just takes one time, one mistake, and your teen is dead.

Don’t be afraid to talk to your teen about fentanyl.

Educate yourself, and then speak with your teen. There are great resources that can help you figure out how to begin the conversation. Scott Silverman’s book, The Opioid Epidemic, is bursting with information on how to take preventative action and recognize the signs your teen might be using.

Other resources include:

This article on rainbow fentanyl.
This blog post from Public Health Insider, which cites some great ways for teens to look out for one another.
This handy checklist from Harborview Injury Prevention & Research Center.
This informational worksheet from Alberta.

If you’re concerned about a loved one (or if you need help), call Scott H. Silverman. As a crisis coach and family navigator, he’s here to help you find resources and get on the road to recovery. He’s been sober for three decades and wants to pay it forward.

Give Scott a call today at 619-993-2738.