TEXARKANA MAGAZINE
(L-R) Dr. Matt Young, Corporal Les Munn, and Sergeant Kyle Caudle raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and other opioid drugs with “One Pill Can Kill” presentations.
Last March, public officials held a joint press conference to discuss a rash of deaths in our area related to fentanyl. Many were stunned by the harsh reality of illicit drug use within our cities. Debbie Autrey, a licensed psychological examiner, and her husband Wren, a circuit judge, know first-hand the pain of losing a child to drugs. They lost their 18-year-old son to an accidental tramadol overdose less than a year after his high school graduation. Debbie never wanted Will’s life to be defined by his death. “It was not who he was. It was something that happened. Will was funny, smart, and loving. God gave his dad and me so many good memories to hold on to. I feel blessed to have been his mom for 18 years.” She adds, “It can happen to anyone. Will was raised in the church and went to good schools. We knew his teachers. We were hands on and very involved in his school activities. He was raised right. I wish I had known more when I was facing it. If you suspect your child is experimenting with drugs, get yourself all the education you can. The first time is always a choice. You never know if your brain is the one that will be hijacked. Everyone is different. It can happen so fast.” Anyone taking unprescribed oxycodone, hydrocodone, or Percocet is at risk of ingesting a lethal dose of fentanyl. Representative Bruce Westerman brought this point home recently in the article “U.S. House Passes Fentanyl Measures Addressing National Crisis,” published by the Arkansas Democrat-
Gazette . In the article, he explained, “You don’t have to go far to find someone whose family or community has been affected by fentanyl.” His counterpart, Representative French Hill, stated in the same article, “This is a part of their college and high school experience. The number of parents I know that have been devastated by this is just shocking.” Regarding fentanyl, Congressman Hill gets our attention with his sobering comment: “It’s not just a party drug situation; you’re literally rolling the dice with your life.” Texarkana residents are fortunate to have local leaders who advocate for our children by diligently sharing the message “One Pill Can Kill.” Dr. Matt Young, Chief Medical Officer at Texarkana Emergency Center & Hospital, Corporal Les Munn, and Sergeant Kyle Caudle recently made headlines after sharing a “One Pill Can Kill” presentation with students at a local middle school. According to Dr. Young, the phrase stems from an incident involving Zach Didier, a high school senior from Rocklin, California, with no history of drug use. When his parents overheard paramedics considering fentanyl as his cause of death, they were shocked and confused. Their son was 17 years old, an Eagle Scout, a soccer player, and the star of his high school musical, as reported in the article “Poison Pill: How Fentanyl Killed a 17-Year-Old,” published by the Washington Post in November, 2022. After a thorough investigation, it was determined Zach bought two or three pills through Snapchat from
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COMMUNITY & CULTURE
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