Fentanyl Facts

What is Fentanyl:

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic (pain relief) and anesthetic. It is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S. However, most recent cases of fentanyl-related overdose are linked to illegally made fentanyl, which is distributed through illegal drug markets for its heroin-like effect. it is often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which make the drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive, and more dangerous. 

Fentanyl Fact Sheet

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What is La Feria ISD doing?

To help fight the fentanyl problem, La Feria ISD is:

  • Partnering with local law enforcement, emergency management, and health authorities to monitor and collaborate on the best way to combat the opioid crisis. 

  • The district is in the process of creating a policy to carry Narcan at Noemi Dominguez, William B. Green Jr. High and La Feria Early College High School – through the nurses’ offices and school resource officers (SROs) from the La Feria Policy Department. Narcan, administered quickly enough, can help reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose.

  • District nursing staff, counselors, safety and security committee, curriculum and instruction leaders, and our principals and campus leaders will be working on in-school educational opportunities, which may include assemblies, homeroom discussions, posters, or other ways to inform students about fentanyl dangers.  

What you can do:

To help fight the fentanyl problem, you can:

  • Talk to your children. Tell them that ANY pill they get from a friend or purchased online or off of the street could be a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl. Only take medication that was prescribed by a doctor, purchased at a pharmacy, and approved by parents or guardians.   

  • Learn about the fentanyl crisis and help spread the word that this is a dangerous situation. Visit the Centers for Disease Control website’s Fentanyl Facts page as a starting-point: https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html 

  • Ensure that all medications, including over-the-counter medications, are delivered to the school nurse by the student's guardian for distribution. Students should not carry any medications with them at school, nor share them for any reason.   

  • Reach out to your school nurse or counselor with any specific concerns, or if you need additional resources that are unique to your family.