Fentanyl is killing kids and it’s time for the Coronado community to do something about it, said former D.E.A. agent Rocky Herron when he spoke at Coronado Middle School on January 23rd. Herron said that kids need to understand the consequences of trying recreational drugs, because trying something—even once—can kill them.
“The age of recreational drug use is over,” said Herron, who now works for the San Diego County Office of Education as their Alcohol and Other Drug Ambassador. “But kids aren’t getting that message.”
Herron said that fentanyl—a synthetic opioid– is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It can kill instantly, and it’s a major contributor to drug overdoses in the U.S. In California alone, more than 5700 people died from Fentanyl in 2021, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Fentanyl can appear in pill form, as candy, or as a liquid or a powder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Most people won’t know it when they see it. Sometimes, it’s made to look like a pharmaceutical drug like Oxycodone. Usually, it’s offered to kids by someone they know and trust.
“These drugs aren’t being offered by the ‘bad kid’ or the stranger,” said Herron. “It’s their best friend, or their boyfriend. It’s their girlfriend, their classmate, their teammate, their neighbor who comes up and says, ‘hey, look what I got, let’s do…
