RN27052023

STORY:

Eli Weinstock was a funny, larger-than-life 20-year-old who was “thriving” during his sophomore year at American University. He loved to play tennis, cook chicken teriyaki and produce homemade films starring his siblings.

Unbeknownst to him, the Bexley High School graduate encountered fentanyl in the final moments of his life, his mother Beth Weinstock said. He died in his Washington, D.C. residence in March 2021, falling victim to what his mother called the greatest public health crisis of his generation.

Eli’s story is not uncommon. More than 5,100 Ohioans died in 2021 alone from an unintentional drug overdose, nearly 80% of which involved fentanyl, according to state Department of Health records.

SENSES (Child Safeguarding and Protection Principle):

Fentanyl is used to treat severe pain in hospital settings, from procedures like colonoscopies to diseases like cancer. But outside of the medical market, it is generally not safe because it’s nearly impossible to control the size of the dose.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.

Fentanyl can seriously harm young children who accidentally meet it.

The emergence of “rainbow fentanyl” brightly colored pills, powders and blocks made to look like candy has created an even greater risk for kids.

STONE (Call to action):

Primary and secondary parents should take time to talk to their children about drugs in general, and the extreme dangers of taking pills not prescribed to them and also share with them the trends and dangers related to fentanyl-laced substances. In doing this it is important we also equip them with the necessary life skills needed to prepare them for life and understand their inevitable roles in their Personal Safety and Self-Protection.

Also, as primary and secondary parents we are enjoined to pay attention to the drugs our children some in contact with whether prescribed or not. This is to protect them from taking anything harmful to their health, becoming addicted to drugs and being derailed in life.

Finally, it is important to note that children who ingest fentanyl can become sleepy or lose consciousness completely. Their breathing becomes very shallow and weak. Parents observing these symptoms should immediately call 9-1-1.

Source: Nextar Media Inc