Heads Up Parents on Drugs That May Be Circulating

From Facebook:
Make sure your kids know not to take Rx pills not prescribed to them (no matter the circumstances). 

I'm an addiction researcher at the UW and we are seeing some deaths among teenagers in King County taking fake Rx pills that are actually fentanyl.
From Public Health Insider:

Ongoing monitoring by Public Health — Seattle & King County using King County Medical Examiner’s Office data has detected a recent increase in drug overdose deaths.  Between mid-June to mid-September 2019, 141 suspected and confirmed drug overdose deaths have occurred, compared to the 109 overdose deaths that occurred in this same period in 2018.
“This increase in fentanyl-associated deaths among people using illicit opioid pills and powders is alarming,” said Dr. Jeff Duchin, Health Officer for Public Health – Seattle & King County. “Fentanyl is a drop-dead drug — anyone using illicit opioid pills or powder should seek treatment for opioid use disorder and take precautions to prevent a fatal overdose.”  

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you Melissa, this is extremely helpful. Drugs, vaping and pot smoking is getting out of hand in my opinion. Sure past generations have had their issues but substances and access nowadays are so much more potent.


PEACE
10/2/19, 8:40 PM
Anonymous said…
I heard this past week that two friends of my friend's children died in NY from a fentanyl laced pill. The kids were not known drug addicts but had taken a pill at a party. Apparently this is a nationwide phenomena. It is so very sad and alarming.

Mom
10/3/19, 6:40 AM
Anonymous said…
It's sad that even though Seattle Public Schools and the Seattle Police were notified of two Ingraham High recent grads dealing drugs, both choose to ignore the warning. At least one student is now dead. One dealer was even arrested in July and released. Check your children's cell phones, dealers are using money transfer apps like Venmo to sell the drugs.

Ingraham parent
10/3/19, 10:05 AM
Anonymous said…
I'd urge all parents to ask their schools to post this information at school for students to see and send home to parents (via whatever regular email communication they have.)

Does the nurse's office in every SPS have naloxone/Narcan? Administering it is protected by our good Samaritan law. BTW, it's also available at any pharmacy without a prescription.

It's tragic that it's come to this, but it's now a reality.

https://www.doh.wa.gov/YouandYourFamily/DrugUserHealth/OverdoseandNaloxone/NaloxoneInstructions

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/anyone-in-washington-can-now-obtain-naloxone-the-opioid-overdose-medication/

Dr. Kathy Lofy, the state’s health officer, signed a “standing order” for Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan. The order is statewide and allows any person or organization to obtain the medication from a pharmacy without a prescription.

Concerned Parent
10/3/19, 12:02 PM
Anonymous said…
Rumor has it that a student at Ballard has passed after taking a pill that this student thought was Oxycontin, but was laced with fentanyl. I hope the rumor proves untrue. Please talk to your kids about drugs.

-NW
10/3/19, 12:14 PM
Anonymous said…
@ NW The rumor is devastating and true unfortunately. Principal Wynkoop just sent a letter to all parents at the student parent request. The parents want other parents to be aware this is happening. This also recently happened this past month to two teenagers in NY, friends of my friends kids. These were not kids addicted to drugs, but kids experimenting who took a fatal pill at a party.

MOM
10/3/19, 12:27 PM
Anonymous said…
From Kiro7 - the parents of the Ballard HS student speak. Scary times we are parenting in. I hope parents and SPS principals will talk to their students.

https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/parents-give-powerful-warning-after-losing-son-to-fentanyl-overdose/993058962

Stay safe
10/3/19, 12:59 PM
Anonymous said…
https://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2019/09/16/narcotics-detectives-seize-thousands-of-fentanyl-pills-from-sammamish-home/

Narcotics investigators seized thousands of pills [12,00 fentanyl pills, 5,000 MDMA pills, hundreds of amphetamine pills], two handguns and $75,000 after serving a warrant at the home of a suspected dealer in Sammamish, Washington on Friday, as part of an investigation into fentanyl dealing around Aurora and Lake City.

Seattle Times is also reporting two Skyline High School students have died from taking counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl.

parent



10/3/19, 1:08 PM
Anonymous said…
Apparently this also happened to a student who died at Ingraham recently. He was a good student, and it was a one time experimental thing. This is very very sad.

IHS
10/3/19, 2:10 PM
Anonymous said…
It was just reported today that a student at Ballard High overdosed and died. How many students is that in one month?

Terrifying
10/4/19, 1:32 PM
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