OPINION: Hard drugs are easier to find than ever. Talk to your kids about responsible behavior.

It’s hard to believe that it’s that time again, back to school! With the return of thousands of students to school settings, the safety and well-being of children and teens must be top of mind for parents and educators. In addition to creating healthy routines and preparing for academics, we all must also prepare for the challenges that youth may face when it comes to access to alcohol, narcotics, and, a new danger circulating throughout the state, fentanyl.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 times more potent than heroin that can be mixed in with other drugs like meth, vape cartridges and prescription opioids, leaving individuals unaware of the dangers lurking inside. It is tasteless, it is odorless, it is colorless, it is a silent killer.

You have likely heard stories about fentanyl and may assume that it is far removed from the kids and teens in your life, but fentanyl has surged in our state in the past year and a half. Just this last school year, 10 high school students in ASD overdosed from exposure to fentanyl, many without even knowing that the risk was there. In 2022, the Alaska Department of Health reported fentanyl overdose deaths in Alaska have increased by 150% compared to 2020, and nearly 75% of opioid overdose deaths were in part due to fentanyl in Alaska in 2021.

Access to drugs has changed with access to social media, simply by looking up “plugs near me” on social media, it’s possible to find a seller and a “menu”. In the case of fentanyl, sellers and customers are often both unaware that it is in a product. With teen vaping in the U.S. on the rise (45.8% of teens reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days) there is additional cause for concern as fentanyl can be laced in vape juice. Even if a teen is only using nicotine or marijuana, they can still be unknowingly exposed to fentanyl.

This school year, some school districts are ensuring schools have a Narcan kit (medicine rapidly reversing an overdose). However, even with Narcan kits available, there is still a risk of overdose, as Narcan is a temporary fix, making it incredibly important to call 911 after administering Narcan.

Any bathroom you go into in high school is going to have kids vaping in a stall. Weed or nicotine, it’s everywhere. If you look at the stall doors, you’ll most likely find a plug number, too.

What can parents and educators do?

1. The most important thing you can do is talk to your preteen and teen about fentanyl. Start by explaining addiction and the way that fentanyl can be hidden in common drugs. Have an open and honest age-appropriate conversation. It can be beneficial to create a base for conversations about safety with drugs and alcohol at an early age and continue it over time.

2. Be informed of where Narcan is available in your community and ensure your family knows how to administer it. Free online training and kits can be accessed through Project Hope.

3. If you engage with alcohol or recreational or prescription drugs, be sure to model positive behavior for children and teens in your life, storing all substances safely and testing substances. You can order fentanyl test strips and Narcan kits free of charge at Iknowmine.org.

Adolescence is a time for adventure, but sometimes a time for making poor decisions. These tragedies impacting our youth are not inevitable; let’s ensure every child and youth in Alaska is protected by working together and continuing to build a safer Alaska for all.

Natalie Hannula is a young teen raised in Anchorage, an author and Alaska Children’s Trust intern. She spends her time reading, writing and hanging out with family. When she grows up, she hopes to pursue a career at NASA in aerodynamics as a mission crew member.

The views expressed here are the writer’s and are not necessarily endorsed by the Anchorage Daily News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)adn.com. Send submissions shorter than 200 words to letters@adn.com or click here to submit via any web browser. Read our full guidelines for letters and commentaries here.