Lessons Learned Testing Hot - One Million and Counting
look like the real thing. Youth and adults may think they are buying a pill such as Percocet, Vicodin, or Xanax. Fact: Opioids (including fentanyl) are highly addictive. They can quickly lead to Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). The Peoria Primary Prevention Coalition (3PC) is a local group of prevention leaders that provides free presentations to businesses, school staff, parents, and community groups. We create awareness and understanding on multiple topics related to current teen drug trends, vaping, opioids, fentanyl, and more—email stephanie.siete@3PCoalition.org to learn more about booking a free presentation. Submitted by Larry Tracey, Executive Director of Youth4Youth and a member of the Peoria Primary Prevention Coalition.
I just got off the phone with a mother whose twenty- five-year-old son tested “hot” for opioids—again. As she spoke, I listened, and with every word, my heart grew heavier. Her son has been admitted to a treatment center, but this is not the first time. Each positive test chips away at her hope. You can hear it in her voice—the exhaustion, the fear, the quiet bargaining with reality. She finally said what so many parents are afraid to say out loud: Is my son going to become another statistic? Another name added to an ever-growing, unwanted club— parents who have buried a child lost to an opioid overdose. I’ve had that conversation before. Three years ago, I was on the other end of that same call. And the son we were talking about is no longer alive. Fact: Fentanyl overdoses are now the number one cause of death in males ages 18 – 45. Fact: Over 1 million Americans have now died from an opioid overdose. Fact: Opioids are a class of drugs that include synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and pain relievers legally prescribed, such as Percocet® and Vicodin®, codeine, morphine, and the illegal drug heroin. Fact: All street drugs now contain fentanyl. Counterfeit pills are just like counterfeit money. They
January 2026 11
Estrella Publishing - Mountain View magazine
Made with FlippingBook - Online magazine maker