CONTINUED FROM 1
2023 HEALTH CARE EDITION
GRIPPING THE COMMUNITY
education out there just to prevent it from happening further,” said Elainna Dewitt, a school nurse at Lehman High School. “As far as why it’s still happen- ing despite all of our e orts, I think it goes back to probably mental health and addiction at this point.” Coordinated e orts are at play to address both the mental and physical health aspects of why students exper- Synthetic opioid deaths across Texas have increased dramatically since 2018 from fewer than 400 annually to more than 2,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the six student deaths in HCISD occurred outside of school hours, of the seven times school nurses administered Narcan during the 2022- 23 school year, four of those were at Lehman High School. Each required multiple doses of the overdose medi- cine, Dewitt said. “We’re seeing repeat o enders. A lot of the time it’s the ones that we are already familiar with,” Dewitt said. “That’s unfortunate because we’re try- ing to nd those resources for them.” Dewitt said what she most hears students talking about is obtaining Percocet or Xanax. These prescription pain medications are often sold on the street in illicitly produced forms laced with fentanyl. “I don’t know if it’s just naivety in thinking that’s exactly what they’re going to get [or] if there’s a chance they’re going to get fentanyl,” she said. Reframing legal approaches iment with opioids. Repeating tragedies Hays County has taken steps to prosecute drug dealers with murder/ poisoning charges if they sell any- thing laced with fentanyl. The rst such charge came May 1 of an 18-year- old who allegedly dealt to a 15-year- old Lehman High School student, resulting in the child’s death. Criminal District Attorney Kelly
Higgins said part of the issue with get- ting fentanyl out of the hands of young people is drug distribution is no longer a hierarchical network but more scat- tered and elusive. “It’s more like a gig economy,” Hig- gins said. “People go to a distributor who doesn’t control them. They go into this little exchange, and then they go out and put it in kid’s hands.” He said he is alarmed that children are taking drugs while unaware of what they really are. “We’ve had so many children killed. They’re not just dying; they’re being killed,” Higgins said. “People are prof- iting by doing this.” The Texas Legislature also consid- ered legal changes regarding fentanyl this year. As of press time, two bills passed regarding fentanyl-related issues and await Gov. Greg Abbott’s signature, veto or become law without his signa- ture within 20 days of being sent. House Bill 6, authored by Rep. Craig Goldman, R Fort Worth, would classify fentanyl overdoses as poisonings on death certi cates. It was sent to Gov. Abbott on May 24. Senate Bill 629, authored by Sen. José Menéndez, D San Antonio, would require training in the administration of Narcan for all Texas public school teachers and school sta . That bill was sent to Gov. Abbott May 29. Student awareness An e ort by the school district with the newly formed nonpro t Forever 15 Project is educating students on the dangers of fentanyl and pairing that with mental health resources for all secondary students in HCISD. More than 30 presentations were given throughout May on overdose and men- tal health awareness. Janel Rodriguez founded the Forever 15 Project with her husband, Brandon, after the loss of their 15-year-old son Noah in 2022. She said children need to hear facts without judgment. “I was a strict parent. But I’ve learned to extend grace, and I just tell them there’s no judgment here,” She said. “That’s been my approach, just showing them love and that I’m a safe place. Kids are struggling. Kids want to be heard and helped, and they don’t know who to talk to.”
From the Summer of 2022 through the end of the school year, a total of six students died from fentanyl and seven administrations of Narcan were performed in Hays CISD.
Summer 2022 Four students in the school district die from fentanyl poisoning before the 2022-23 school year begins. Sept. 7, 2022 In a letter to parents, Superintendent Eric Wright makes them aware of those deaths and the two suspected student overdoses that were reversed by Narcan. Sept. 8, 2022 The district rolls out fentanyl education videos for all secondary campuses. Sept. 8, 2022 A task force of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hays County Sheri ’s O ce and the Kyle Police Department is announced to combat opioid use. Jan. 2023 The Hays County Sheri ’s O ce con rms of the 37 fentanyl overdoses reported in the county during 2022, 14 involved minors ages 13-17. Jan. 2023 Hays CISD announces one student died over the winter break due to a fentanyl overdose. Jan. 5, 2023 Parents of some of the students who died during the summer launch the Forever 15 Project. April 11, 2023 A sixth student dies from fentanyl poisoning, according to sheri ’s o ce. May 1, 2023 Second-degree felony, rst-degree felony murder and other charges are led against Jaquell Ray in connection to the April 11 incident. May 2023 The district con rms Narcan was administered seven times during the school year. May 2023 More than 30 presentations at all school district secondary schools are carried out by the Forever 15 Project.
SOURCES: HAYS CISD, HAYS COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE, FOREVER 15 PROJECT COMMUNITY IMPACT
Synthetic opioid deaths in Texas Synthetic opioid deaths across Texas have increased dramatically since 2018 by nearly 470%.
2,500
2,040
1,858
2,000
1,500
1,050
1,000
423
358
500 0
2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
SOURCE: THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION COMMUNITY IMPACT
Community resources
San Marcos Treatment Center 120 Bert Brown St., San Marcos 800-251-0059
Outsiders Anonymous Gym 324 Riverwalk Drive, Ste. 218, San Marcos www.outsidersanonymous.org Positive Recovery Center 300 S. CM Allen Parkway, Ste. 200, San Marcos 512-543-2842 www.positiverecovery.com
Forever 15 Project www.forever15project.org Hays County Campus Crime Stoppers 800-324-8477 www.callcrimestoppers.com/ campus-crime-stoppers Hays County Fentanyl Resource Page www.hayscountytx.com/hays- county-fentanyl-resource-page
www.sanmarcostc.com Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 800-662-HELP (4357) www. ndtreatment.gov
There are a variety of resources in Hays County and throughout Central Texas for individuals strug- gling with psychiatric, behavioral and substance use issues. Often fentanyl is accidentally ingested in counterfeit pills that the user thinks are something else.
For more information, visit communityimpact.com .
29
SAN MARCOS BUDA KYLE EDITION • JUNE 2023
Powered by FlippingBook