An RL Turner High School student who turned unresponsive after apparently ingesting a pill Friday is expected to be OK after being administered Narcan, the district says.
In a statement sent to parents and shared with NBC 5, the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD said staff at the high school took quick action after the student suddenly turned unresponsive after taking a pill and that after being administered Narcan the student regained consciousness.
The district said the student was hospitalized but is expected to be released sometime Friday.
We want to commend the students and staff at RL Turner High School for their quick action in assisting in this incident.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD
Carrollton Police told NBC 5 the student was a 15-year-old girl who was found unconscious in a restroom. Police suspected she overdosed and Narcan was administered.
The school district said keeping students safe and families informed is among the highest priorities for the district and that they hoped by sharing information about Friday’s incident they may prevent future emergencies.
Since December, three Carrollton-Farmers Branch students have died and at least six others have been hospitalized in a string of fentanyl overdoses. Last month, the Department of Justice announced the arrest of a third person described as the “main source of supply” in nearly a dozen fentanyl overdoses among juveniles in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch area and said that person has been federally charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Carrollton Police said they are investigating the incident and are awaiting toxicology reports.
District officials did not say if they knew what was in the pill, but they did say they hoped to encourage families to talk to their children about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs.
“Tell them that ANY pill they get from a friend, an acquaintance, or purchased online or off the street, could be a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl. Only take prescribed medication by a doctor, purchased at a pharmacy, and approved by parents or guardians,” the district warned.
The district said they have additional resources on their website for parents and students on the dangers of fentanyl.
“This is a community challenge. It will take all of us working together to fight the fentanyl epidemic. We need everyone’s help, if you see something, if you hear something, you must say something. Together, we can stop this epidemic,” the district said.
WHAT IS NARCAN?
According to the manufacturer, “Narcan nasal spray is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond.”
The drug can help reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in minutes. The manufacturer says that since most opioid overdoses occur in the home and are most often witnessed, having a Narcan rescue kit nearby can make all the difference.
WHAT IS FENTANYL?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.
Without laboratory testing, there is no way to know how much fentanyl is concentrated in a pill or powder. If you encounter fentanyl in any form, do not handle it and call 911 immediately.
Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 107,622 Americans died of drug overdoses in 2021, with 66% of those deaths related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
Drug poisonings are the leading killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Fentanyl available in the United States is primarily supplied by two criminal drug networks, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).
WHAT IS RAINBOW FENTANYL?
In August 2022 the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public advisory about the alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl available nationwide.
Brightly-colored fentanyl, dubbed “rainbow fentanyl” in the media, is being seized in multiple forms, including pills, powder, and blocks that resembles sidewalk chalk.
“Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are relentlessly working to stop the trafficking of rainbow fentanyl and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in the United States.”
Despite claims that certain colors may be more potent than others, there is no indication through DEA’s laboratory testing that this is the case. The DEA said every color, shape, and size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous.
