Montgomery County Public Schools is tackling the growing problem of opioid use among teens.
On Saturday, parents attended a forum at Clarksburg High School focused on education and prevention in the hopes of saving lives, after two students overdosed in the month of January. One, 15-year-old Ashley Edwards, did not survive.
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WATCH HEREOrganizers set up a mock-up of a typical teenager’s bedroom in a trailer as part of the forum. While the order and neatness may have been unrealistic, the message about the dangers of opioid abuse, addiction and its possible signs was all too real.
“You know what they do with spoons nowadays, right?” a Montgomery County officer asked inside the trailer to parents around him. “They crush up the pills in the spoon. Heat it underneath, and use the needle to inject it into your body.”
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Then, he demonstrated where drugs might be hidden, and gave parents tips on what to look for and how to seek help if they find what they fear.
At the well-attended forum, lessons, discussions and information were provided to help families understand the scope of the problem, the dangers and the help that’s available.
“We’ve seen a significant increase - roughly about 78% - in youth overdoses and overdose deaths in 2022 due specifically to fentanyl,” said Rebecca Smondrowski, a member of the Montgomery County Board of Education.
On Jan. 24, a student at Kennedy High School was saved from a possible overdose when someone administered Narcan nasal spray, a medicine that can reverse the effects of opioids.
Juan Gonsalez, the parent of a student at the high school, called out of work to attend the forum after hearing about the incident.
“When I heard this, like my daughter texted me and explained what was happening, I was like wow, I have to stop whatever I’m doing,” Gonsalez said.
At the event, more than one person got up and talked about being close to someone or having a family member in crisis.
At one point, a student asked what the county was doing to address where the drugs were coming from. A panelist responded in part: “Every single fentanyl pill, counterfeit or otherwise, that's used in this county, [originates] somewhere overseas, usually at the hands of a drug cartel.”
There were also learning sessions on how to get and use Narcan, so a person experiencing an overdose can receive immediate, vital medical care.
“Parents and youth are really at the core of a comprehensive community effort to approach this problem,” one attendee said. “The best prevention is family members, teachers creating trusted relationships and opening up spaces for conversation.”
The forum was the first of many planned to address a problem that continues to grow and take young lives.
“It’s a little bit scary, but I understand what it is, and I can better educate my children,” parent Nichelle Cathlin said.
