As of last year, about 100,000 people died from drug overdose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdose death rates have increased for teenagers more than any other age group in recent years. One example of this case would be 15-year-old Melanie Ramos, a high school student in Los Angeles. 

Ramos and her friend had bought and taken a pill they believed was a pain medication called percocet. However, the pill was instead laced with fentanyl and Ramos died in her school’s bathroom from an overdose.

According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, fentanyl is normally used for treating severe cancer pain, but is more potent than morphine and can lead to death when taken in large doses. It is also sometimes added to other illegal drugs to increase their potency, meaning many users do not know they are taking it, increasing risk of overdose.

“Awareness is a good solution to resolve opioid overdose and prevention. Education about this addiction is necessary to resolve this issue facing our nation today,” said WJPS teacher Ms. Kontos.

WJPS teacher Mr. Mengani stated, “We can follow a three step process. Increase education on the subject, create a task force to expand treatment programs, and increase liability for producers of opioid.” 

“Fall Coloured Pills” by Martin Cathrae is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.