A Guide to Fentanyl Awareness for Parents & Guardians
March 08, 2023 | Pharmaceutical Waste Disposal
A Guide to Fentanyl Awareness for Parents & Guardians
We know that your child’s well-being is the most important thing to you as a parent or guardian. Protecting them against drug misuse can be difficult if you don’t have the proper information that you need. With Fentanyl abuse on the rise, it’s important to understand what it is and how to keep it away from your children.
What is Fentanyl?
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid, meaning a substance that is synthesized in a laboratory and acts the same as a natural opioid in the brain to produce pain relief effects. There are two types of fentanyl: pharmaceutical fentanyl and illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain while illegally manufactured fentanyl is sold for its ability to produce pain relief effects. Fentanyl has the potential for addiction because of its potency. Even a small amount can cause an overdose or death.
Fentanyl is one of the deadliest drugs you can encounter, and many counterfeit pills can be laced with fentanyl. There is no way to look, smell or taste a drug to determine if its fentanyl or laced with fentanyl. Instead, you must test unknown drugs with fentanyl test strips. The strips can typically give results within five minutes.
Why Should Parents Be Worried?
Fentanyl is in every community from rural areas to cities, regardless of race and income. Fentanyl can enter a community through a variety of outlets and even enter schools.
Teens and children are often vulnerable in social settings or may seek drugs on their own to cope with pressures of academic excellence, mental health, or to experiment. The fact remains teenagers are likely to encounter situations where illegal drugs may be present. DEA lab testing reveals that six out of every 10 fake pills with fentanyl contain a potentially lethal dose, and it only takes about two milligrams or the tip of a pencil, to be lethal. Milligrams are not the smallest unit of measurement, but they’re one of the smallest units of measurement we have a chance of running into in our daily lives.
Children under 14 are dying of fentanyl poisoning at a rate faster than any other age group, according to a new report from nonprofit, Families Against Fentanyl. The nonprofit also says 64% percent of all drugs “overdoses” can be traced back to fentanyl, and less than 1% of all fentanyl deaths were labeled suicides last year, according to the CDC. Meaning that 99% of all fentanyl deaths were unintentional.
In August 2022, The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a warning of an “alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl” which is made to look like candy and puts children and young adults at more of a risk for attraction and exposure. Rainbow fentanyl looks exactly what it sounds like – brightly colored pills and powders.
What Can You Do?
- Have an open discussion about the reality of Fentanyl
- Talk to your children about the dangers of taking medications not prescribed to them by a doctor
- Monitor the prescriptions that are currently in your household
- Look out for attitude and behavior changes in your child
- Learn the signs of overdose
- Dispose of any unused and unknown drugs you see in Rx Destroyer
Can Fentanyl go in Rx Destroyer?
Yes, the Rx-Destroyer All-Purpose formula is an excellent tool for disposing of Fentanyl, ensuring that the active ingredients will not be retrievable by common means available to the general public. See our Fentanyl testing data here.
Rx Destroyer’s patented formula begins dissolving medications on contact. Rx Destroyer pharmaceutical disposal system is a multiple use system. Continue to add medications until contents reach 2 inches from the top. When not in use, always store in a controlled, safe, and secure location.
Click here to read our How To Dispose of Fentanyl Patches Blog
Why Rx Destroyer At Home Drug Disposal?
- 4oz bottle designed to fit inside a home medicine cabinet
- Child proof cap and ready-to-use formula, no adding water
- Reusable, you can continue to add medications when you need it for up to a year once open
- Drug disposal begins on contact every time
- Help ensure the safety of your child
With regard to pharmaceutical waste disposal and other regulated activities associated with pharmaceuticals, always follow applicable federal, state, local, and tribal laws/regulations.
