An R.L. Turner High School student who was found unresponsive after apparently ingesting a pill Friday is expected to be OK after being administered Narcan, officials say.
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 apparently fell unresponsive after taking a pill. The student was administered Narcan and regained consciousness.
The district said the student was hospitalized but was 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
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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.
CFBISD notified families of the incident via e-mail on Friday, but most parents who spoke to NBC-5 said they learned of the incident via their students who texted or called them during the school day.
Javier Gonzalez says he planned to speak to his daughter, a freshman at Turner H.S., Friday evening about what occurred on campus.
"We have to be ready for it as parents, to have that conversation," Gonzalez said. "I'm going to ask her if she is okay, if she understands it. I think I'm going to try to do less talking and maybe just try to listen."
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.
The Department of Justice, on Friday, announced another arrest tied to a crackdown on fentanyl sales in Carrollton. Federal prosecutors said 20-year-old Donovan Andrews used social media apps to reach out to potential buyers and cash apps to take payment. In arrest documents, they detailed how a 14-year-old girl who survived an overdose told investigators he sold her the drugs and left them in her mailbox.
Carrollton Police said they are investigating Friday's emergency 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 active ingredient in Narcan is naloxone hydrochloride. Narcan is the brand name for the device that delivers naloxone into the nasal cavity.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, naloxone is an FDA-approved opioid antagonist medication that is used to reverse an opioid overdose. SAMHSA said naloxone is a temporary treatment and its effects do not last long so it's critical to obtain medical intervention as soon as possible after administering or receiving naloxone.
WHAT IS NALOXONE?
According to the National Institutes of Health's National Institute on Drug Abuse, naloxone is a medicine that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by attaching itself to opioid receptors and either reversing or blocking the effects of opioids.
"Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose. But, naloxone has no effect on someone who does not have opioids in their system, and it is not a treatment for opioid use disorder. Examples of opioids include heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone (OxyContin), hydrocodone (Vicodin), codeine, and morphine.
Naloxone comes in two FDA-approved forms, injectable and as a nasal spray.
Naloxone works for only 30 to 90 minutes and many opioids remain in the body longer than that. It is possible for a person to still experience the effects of an overdose after a dose of naloxone wears off so it's imperative to call 911 or get the overdosing person medical attention as soon as possible after the dose is administered.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on March 29, 2023, approved selling naloxone without a prescription, setting the overdose-reversing drug on course to become the first opioid treatment drug to be sold over the counter.
DOES THE FDA APPROVAL MEAN I CAN BUY IT AT CVS OR WALGREENS?
Yes. Narcan was expected to be available over-the-counter at pharmacies by late summer, the company said.
Other brands of naloxone and injectable forms will not yet be available over the counter, but they could be soon.
The nonprofit Harm Reduction Therapeutics Inc., which has funding from OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, has an application before the FDA to distribute its version of spray naloxone without a prescription
Once available over the counter, the drug could be available at places without pharmacies, like convenience stores, supermarkets and from online retailers.
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 resemble 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.
