The WHY #1: Our Urgent Need for Fentanyl Awareness
In this first installment, our editorial team goes over the dire importance of stymieing the rapid growth of the fentanyl epidemic among adolescent populations.
Fentanyl: A prescription or illegally-obtained synthetic drug that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. [1]
Because of this potency, fentanyl is often added to other illegally sold prescription drugs to enhance their effects and thus drive up business for dealers. Fentanyl’s exponentially high painkilling effect mirrors its exponentially high capacity to kill.
It only takes 2 milligrams of fentanyl to kill. That’s around 10-15 grains of table salt. [2]
From 2019 to 2020, overdose deaths in people aged 14 to 18 increased a whopping 94%, despite an overall decline in drug use in middle and high schools. Furthermore, between July 2019 to December 2021, illicitly manufactured fentanyls accounted for a vast majority of all drug overdoses and deaths among people 10 to 19 years old. [3]
Compare the jagged dotted blue line (illegal fentanyl overdoses) and the jagged black line (overall overdoses). [3]
The History: The modern opioid epidemic in the United States began in 1991, when pharmaceutical companies pushed opioid prescriptions for any pain-management treatments. This led to a “first wave”, with liberal prescriptions given out and the illegal transfer of opioids to those who were not originally prescribed the opioids. The “second wave” began in the 2010s with the rapid introduction of heroin from primarily the Middle East and Central American regions. Nowadays, we are amidst the “third wave” as synthetic opioids, chiefly fentanyl, replace heroin and other less potent painkillers. [4]
It is extremely common for users of the most potent painkillers like fentanyl to have begun using drugs with less potency or impact, such as alcohol, marijuana, and adderall. The history of the opioid epidemic in the United States reflects this trend and, if not properly addressed during this third stage, may eventually progress onto substances with even more destructive properties.
THE ISSUE: Fentanyl is not only a more lethal drug, but it may be mixed in with any illicit street drug. Combined with its lethality, kills more children than any drug has ever before.
Perspective: As an organization founded by and for secondary school students, Project Pyxis draws inspiration and perspective from these student’s valuable insights. Many mention overhearing how others discuss “oxy, percs, and ket” as easily accessible and “safe” drug. A larger quantity of students reported the casual, accepted consumption of marujana and stimulants like adderall. The school system remains the main venue for the illicit drug trade between students aged 10 to 18 and, to many students, the crisis has been largely ignored and pushed aside by those tasked with maintaining safety, mental health, and public health.
Project Pyxis: Pyxis, in latin, means a mariner’s compass. For us, Project Pyxis represents a peer-led movement to uplift and guide those who may be struggling with an opioid addiction or who are at risk of developing one.
As a volunteer organization targeting the opioid crisis in secondary schools across the United States and its international counterparts, we focus on combating the opioid crisis in the classrooms where students spend most of their time. By developing educational programs and working with experts in mental health, public health, and the local school systems, we combine the multifaceted experiences and perspectives of both students and professionals.
Stay tuned for our next announcement, where we’ll take you through an in-depth, evidence supported rundown of each part of the COMPASS framework for promoting a drug-free lifestyle and path to recovery.
[1] Fentanyl Facts. (2024, April 2). Stop Overdose. https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/fentanyl-facts.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html
[2] Fentanyl: One pill kills | Texas Health and Human Services. (n.d.-b). https://www.hhs.texas.gov/services/mental-health-substance-use/mental-health-substance-use-resources/fentanyl-one-pill-kills
[3] Tanz, L. J., Dinwiddie, A. T., Mattson, C. L., O’Donnell, J., & Davis, N. L. (2022). Drug overdose deaths among persons aged 10–19 years — United States, July 2019–December 2021. MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 71(50), 1576–1582. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7150a2
[4] History of the opioid epidemic: How did we get here? (n.d.). Poison Control. https://www.poison.org/articles/opioid-epidemic-history-and-prescribing-patterns-182