As if life isn’t stressful enough these days, alcohol and drugs are an everyday threat to our families. I would like to bring attention to Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31 this year.
I am thankful that our Warwick Valley School District honored the week with creative daily themes to bring awareness to the dangers of drugs and to the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
We live in a beautiful place that is not immune to drugs and alcohol abuse.
Our children do have access to illegal drugs and there is no better time than now to have conversations about the true danger. The rate of drug overdose has been on the rise and has hit an all-time high this year taking 100,000 Americans, according to the National Center of Health Statistics.
Not only is there the danger of addiction, fentanyl is a dark and evil killer coming into the country at higher and higher rates and contributing to the overdose death rate. Our kids need to know, this is a true threat.
Fentanyl is being labeled the “third wave” in the opioid crisis and can be laced within cocaine, heroin, marijuana, meth, or in the shape of a pill.
It is deadly.
According to US Customs and Border Protection.gov, there has been 11,201 pounds of fentanyl seized at our southern border in 2021 and they predict that much more than what was seized, has come in. As law enforcement in bordering states, California, Arizona and even Idaho have reported fentanyl is being trafficked and there is not enough manpower/law enforcement to stop it.
Just 2 mg of fentanyl powder will cause an overdose and one kilo can cause 500,000 overdoses.
The rate of overdoses in the country has increased by 30 percent already in 2021, according to NCBI and CDC; and the prediction is higher because of the increase in Chinese-produced fentanyl and drug cartels trafficking it in.
The roots of IMF (fentanyl) are from overseas and mostly produced in China, specifically Wuhan, China, produces an estimated 40 percent. It is moved in greatest mass over our United States southern border with Mexican drug cartels.
As a community we have lost real lives, real loved ones, real friends, real family to drug overdoses over the years and more recently and prevalently to fentanyl. We are not protected in the pretty bubble of Warwick; it happens. It is worth having a discussion today and every day with our kids, and it is a fight worth fighting for. From the nightmares of becoming an addict, to the chance of instant death, it is not worth it.
Warwick Prevention Coalition is a real organization in our community to keep the fight against drugs and alcohol in the forefront.
Let’s stay connected and keep fighting for the health of our kids, families and community.
Jessica Sandfort
Warwick