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An autopsy was performed on an 8-year-old child who died from fentanyl poisoning. A 4-year-old dies from an overdose of fentanyl because an addict left pills in reach of a child in the home. These are awful stories but we need to talk about them so we can prevent them.
In North Carolina, fentanyl has claimed the lives of 25 children ages 4 through 17 in the last two years in this state alone.
Some may feel they do not have to worry, this could never happen in Murphy, this could never happen in our home, we have good schools, we have supportive churches and good law enforcement.
Parents could be using this as an excuse not to address the actuality with their children. This disconnect between parents and children is contributing to the rising number of overdoses and deaths in this state.
So far in 2024, large amounts of narcotic seizures are becoming more and more frequent in Murphy, Haywood County, Andrews, Waynesville, Maggie Valley and Canton, to name a few – all have reported large-scale seizures of fentanyl, methamphetamines, heroin and black tar heroin.
This is frightening.
Fentanyl is the nation’s most dangerous drug threat to date – 2 milligrams of fentanyl is fatal. That amount would barely cover the date on a penny. For a first-time user, this could be instant death.
Other synthetic opioids are mixed with strong sedatives, which increase the harm associated with its use. These drugs are only becoming stronger as they continue to evolve.
Today drugs can be located on the Internet. Teenagers can order pills and have them delivered to their homes with the touch of a button. It is as easy as ordering groceries online from Walmart. The day of meeting some shady character in a back alley to score a couple of grams of cocaine/methamphetamines or a bag of marijuana is gone. In this age of technology, these drugs are available at the push of a button.
Most children in middle school know more about computers and cell phones than their parents. We were raised in a different era. We need to adjust our thinking. Today’s social media platforms and encrypted apps are intended to target children.
We have seen the results of drug addiction and death firsthand in this community. We’ve seen the results of large-scale drug seizures on the nightly news. We read about the results in our local paper where law enforcement works hand-in-hand with other law enforcement agencies.
What I have not seen or read about is how the community has worked hand-in-hand with law enforcement agencies. What is needed is for family and community to work hand-in-hand with law enforcement agencies.
This is no longer a home front – this is a battle zone. We are all fighting a war, our children’s lives, our community, and our future generations are at stake.
Parents need to have conversations with their children about underage drinking and drug use.
According to national surveys, students and parents both believed underage drinking and drug use are real issues. Although parents and children are not talking to one another, within this disconnect lies the future of our families.
Social media normalizes underage drinking and drug use, bombarding our children with fiction and fantasy, daily how often are you discussing information with your child about drinking and drug use and the risks?
When surveys show 65 percent of our children under the age of 12 have tried alcohol, there’s a problem.
There’s a difference in perception and a disconnect from parent to child, 47 percent of high school students stated they had tried alcohol statistics show 35 percent of them drink regularly.
This article may close with drinking, but know this – alcohol is considered a gateway drug. Meaning it’s one step closer to hard drugs and the grave.
A national survey on drug use and health shows that alcohol is the most used substance among adolescents, and people ages 12 to 20 drink 3.4 percent of all alcohol consumed in the United States.
Don’t wait until it’s too late. Stop whatever you’re doing and talk with your
children.
The Partnership to End Addiction has trained professionals available via phone (1-855-378-4373), text message (TEXT 55753).
Dr. Herb Clark of Murphy is an expert in the field of addiction with 33 years of experience. He served on the N.C. Professional Practice board, adjunct professor for two universities and was a U.S. Marine serving 25 years, through two wars and three conflicts traveling the world, seeing the effects of addiction firsthand worldwide. Send questions to him at hypno321@hotmail.com.