Fentanyl Information for Families

You have probably heard or read about fentanyl. Fentanyl is so dangerous because:

1. It is very strong. It only takes an amount the size of a grain of salt to kill someone or cause an overdose. It is 50 – 100 times stronger than other opioids like heroin or morphine

2. It is invisible. You can’t tell if a substance contains fentanyl by how it looks, smells or tastes. Test strips can check for fentanyl, but they can’t tell you how much there is or how strong or deadly the drug is.

3. It is often hidden. Fentanyl is now hidden in many drugs sold on the streets or online that shouldn’t contain fentanyl. Even the person who sells the drug often doesn’t know what is in it. 

4. It is unpredictable. Any dose could be the one that causes an overdose, even if another from the same batch didn’t.  Each dose of the same drug from the same batch can have a different amount of fentanyl in it.  

Here are some common drugs, prescription and illegal, that are being laced with or replaced by fentanyl: 

• Opioids like OxyContin (“oxys”) or Percocet

• Stimulants like as “meth”, cocaine, or Adderall

• Sedatives like Xanax or Valium

What you can do to help your children stay safe:

• Talk with your teen about the dangers of fentanyl. You can start by asking your teen what they know and listen to their answer. Then share the facts that you know. Click here for tips about how to talk with teens about drugs.

• Talk about the risks of using any pill or powder not prescribed for them. Too often, a drug isn’t what they think it is.  Click here to learn more.

• Set limits and monitor your teen’s behavior, including online. Even though it can be hard, teens still need our watchful presence. Click here for tips. 

• Get Narcan and know how to use it. Narcan is a safe medicine that can quickly save the life of someone who overdoses on an opioid.  Click here to learn how to get Narcan for free in Denver and how to use it.

• If you are concerned about your teen’s drug use or mental health, reach out for help. Click here for links to support in the Denver metro area.

What DPS schools are being asked to do to help our students stay safe:

1. Have all students and staff will learn about fentanyl and how to prevent an overdose. 

2. Soon our schools will have Narcan on hand to respond to an opioid overdose.

3. We will keep a close watch for substance use by our students and respond to drugs at school in ways that that promote safety and health.

4. We will urge students to reach out for help before they get in trouble or harm themselves.  We will also offer many ways for students to get help.

5. We will host conversations about what can be done to address this threat.

6. We will keep learning and follow best practices so our students stay safe.