MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – South Florida school districts are working to educate students and families about a drug epidemic plaguing the nation.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools announced Thursday that they are taking a proactive stance against the growing fentanyl crisis by launching a new Fentanyl Awareness Campaign starting next week.
The campaign will include assemblies where students will learn to recognize signs of overdosing and how to administer Narcan, a medication that can save lives by reversing the effects of an overdose. They will also be educated about the signs of fake pills, a crucial aspect of staying safe in today’s environment.
Fentanyl overdoses in teens aged 14 to 18 increased by 94% from 2019 to 2023 and Florida was ranked second in the nation for fentanyl-related deaths this year, according to the Federal Drug Administration.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine, according to the FDA. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, equal to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose, with officials calling it a “one pill kill.”
Officials said all Miami-Dade schools have two cans of Narcan readily available with trained school resource officers ready to administer if needed. To date, there have been no fentanyl overdoses within Miami-Dade schools, according to authorities.
Gregory Swan, the CEO and founder of “Fentanyl Fathers,” who lost his son to fentanyl in 2013, voiced his support for the program that educates kids and teens about the dangers of drugs as he and his wife continue to turn their pain into action.
“Our son, Drew was staying at a halfway house when he got an unprescribed pill from his roommate. He thought it was methadone, but it was fentanyl, and it was fatal,” Swan said.
Stella McLaney, a senior at Miami Beach Senio High School, told attendees that she and fellow student Gabrielle Lieberman launched the campaign to keep students away from buying pills on social media. She explained how social media has created easier access to drugs and how dealers are targeting kids through certain apps.
“Fentanyl is in fake pills,” she said. “When they want to get a Percocet or Xanax from Snapchat, that’s when it hits me like ‘Omg I use Snapchat every day.’ My peers are getting drugs from there.”
School assemblies will be held across the district starting next Thursday throughout the entire month.
Lisa Keeler, with the South Florida Opioid Alliance, said the campaign aims to reach and educate over 50,000 students.