Breaking Fentanyl's Grip: The dangers and efforts of relief
'Fentanyl has definitely come about here recently, very badly in about the past two years. And, of course, before that, it was meth. But now fentanyl is rampant, not just in Wichita Falls, but nationwide, it's the new norm almost now,' WFPD Officer Brian Arias said.
Authorities said fentanyl, a synthetic opioid up to 50 times stronger than heroin, is flooding communities across the nation, including right here in local communities.
'Having worked patrol and talked to a lot of my patrol officers and detectives, when it was at its worst, people were almost overdosing every day,' Arias said.
Clay County paramedic Cory Nava has seen firsthand how quickly the drug shuts down the body.
'I've had patients that have eaten fentanyl patches. Patients that have thought they were taking cocaine or methamphetamine, but it was laced with fentanyl. So, they start getting that different effect, and they realize something's wrong. That's when they call 911,' Nava said.
But not everyone is lucky enough to make that call. We hear one pill can kill, but with fentanyl, even the vapors can.
'The stuff we're seeing on the streets and the stuff that's being mixed and made to look like other things comes in a powder form, and it's very potent to the point that if the vapors were to get into the air or the little powder molecules and if you were to inhale it, you would usually start to overdose,' Arias said.
Fentanyl has even changed the way first responders approach routine situations.
'A law enforcement officer was doing a routine stop, back when they could do this. They would open up a bag or something they found in a car and smell it to see if it was marijuana or see what they could smell to see what it was. Well, he did that, and it was fentanyl, and it caused him to have an overdose,' Nava said.
What makes fentanyl so scary is that it can be mixed with all types of substances.
'Such as meth, marijuana, or even placed in the vape cartridges,' Arias said.
Vape cartridges and opioids are extremely popular among the youth, which is why Officer Brian Arias and Crime Stoppers visit schools, teaching the dangers and the signs of an overdose.
'Blue lips and fingertips. The pupils are actually pinpoint pupils. So, take your pupil and make it as small as possible. They may be clammy to the touch. And also, an obvious sign is they're not breathing. So, calling 911 services is absolutely crucial because any given you have about 3 to 5 minutes,' Arias said.
Between those 3-5 minutes, if available, Narcan should be administered; it's the crucial drug that has saved many lives.
'Fentanyl binds to the opioid receptors in the brain, Narcan comes out and causes that to separate. It kicks starts the fentanyl off of those opioid receptors and reverses the respiratory depression,' Nava said.
However, besides the classroom lessons, parents and community members must take action.
'Be aware of what your kids are doing on their cell phones, online video gaming, online computer stuff. Again, there are a lot of hidden messages on Snapchat, TikTok, Instagram, and all those other apps out there,' Arias said. 'You're the parent. That cell phone is your cell phone, not your kids. So please understand who they're talking to and what they're saying because that could be your first step. You just have to be present in their life.'
The fentanyl crisis continues to claim lives, but through education, enforcement, and emergency response, we are fighting back.
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: 1-800-662-HELP or text 988 for confidential support.
Free Narcan: Next Distro: Free Naloxone Access for Impacted Communities — NEXT Distro
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
Baltimore mass overdose survivor says "chill came though body" after bad batch of drugs
Almost 5,000 people have died from drug overdoses in Baltimore in the past five years alone. Despite a drop in deaths last year, recent mass overdoses in Penn North show there is still a serious problem, and the city council tried to get to a deeper understanding at an oversight hearing Tuesday. Joseph Calloway Jr. told WJZ Investigates he was one of at least 27 people who overdosed at Penn North on July 10. "When I took that hit, it was like a chill came through my body," Calloway said. "My cousin was like, 'Are you alright?' I said, 'I'm cool,' and then in about 15 or 20 minutes, I was gone. I wasn't good to anybody. If you're ready to die, then keep doing what you're doing." Calloway was not ready to die. The overdose scared Calloway so much, he is now in treatment and feels lucky to be alive. He called the overdose, "My start date to being drug free." Calloway said he has had "quite a few wake-up calls" and admitted it is hard to know what is in the illicit drugs being sold in Penn North. "They don't have any heroin on the streets of Baltimore or any streets for that matter," Calloway said. "It's just a bunch of crushed-up pills." Baltimore City has not said what was in the bad batch of drugs at Penn North, but a federal laboratory identified fentanyl and sedatives. Calloway said this experience was far different than any other for him. "I never had a chill go through my body," Calloway said. At an oversight hearing Tuesday, Baltimore City Council members were told Black men are the group most likely to die from drug overdoses in the city. Public Safety Chairman Mark Conway said he has seen two overdoses in front of his own district office along York Road. "One in which I specifically had to find my own dosage of naloxone," Conway said. "Fortunately, that person woke up and was able to get back on his feet before I had to apply it. It just shows the urgency, and the fact that this can really be affecting people anywhere." Conway also noted, "This issue cannot be solved in closed-door rooms. It cannot be solved by really smart people working alone. It takes all of us." In Baltimore City, 777 people died from drug overdoses last year compared to 1,043 in 2023. First responders in Baltimore have used Narcan, the brand name of the drug that reverses overdoses, 635 times through June of this year. The generic name is naloxone. Most overdoses happen in the afternoon, with noon having the most overdose calls. Fentanyl is behind most deadly overdoses, followed by cocaine. Baltimore's Health Department outlined the waves of overdose deaths and responses. Baltimore City Needle Exchange (syringe services program/SSP) (1994), drug take-back programs, opioid prescribing guidelines, Baltimore City Staying Alive program (2004) First responder naloxone access, prescription drug monitoring program (2014), overdose fatality review (2014) Wide naloxone distribution, fentanyl test strips, peer recovery outreach, Baltimore City naloxone standing order (2015) Mobile treatment, harm reduction vending machine, syringe disposal drop boxes, overdose prevention center advocacy, addition of backpacking model for SSP, expansion of SSPs to CBOs, Kids Off Drugs, data dashboards Penn North has seen two mass overdoses in the past month, one week apart. The second mass overdose impacted seven people, sending five of them to hospitals. "I hope that we're just prepared for the next one, and the next one, and the next one. I hope that everyone is out here—and the organizations still show up," said David Carter. "We need resources. We need people to get into housing. We need accurate treatment. Baltimore City got $16 million for housing and $16 million for drug treatment. Where is that money at?" Sam Graves spoke about the open-air drug market at Penn North. "It's open to you, where you can just walk over to who got it—you got this and you got that—and there you go," Graves said.
CNN
2 days ago
- CNN
Former US surgeon general: Opioid fight demands better overdose reversal strategies, stronger policy support
Editor's note: Dr. Jerome Adams, who served as US surgeon general in the first Trump administration, is a distinguished professor in pharmacy practice and public health at Purdue University. The recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which experts predict will reduce Medicaid coverage for millions of Americans, combined with the proposed elimination of a $56 million grant for overdose reversal training and distribution, threatens to undermine progress in reducing opioid overdose deaths. Medicaid, particularly through its expansion, supports treatment for about 1 million people with opioid use disorder. If federal funding falters, many people could lose access to care, reversing hard-earned gains against overdose deaths that were driven by expanded health care and lifesaving tools. As synthetic opioids like fentanyl fuel a continuing overdose crisis, sustaining progress will demand both robust policy and advancements in overdose reversal strategies. Although drug overdose deaths made a significant drop in 2024 to the lowest level in five years, according to federal estimates, there were still more than 80,000 deaths last year. Synthetic opioids were involved in more than half of those cases. High-potency synthetic opioids (HPSOs) like fentanyl, which is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin, have reshaped the overdose landscape. Fentanyl can cause rapid respiratory arrest within minutes and often outlasts standard reversal agents. First responders frequently report now having to administer multiple doses of naloxone (best known by the brand name Narcan) to reverse a fentanyl overdose. A recent analysis by Dr. Mark Gold, of the Department of Psychiatry at Washington University, and colleagues explores the challenges of reversing HPSO overdoses, drawing on observational studies, lab data and clinical experience. They emphasize that effective reversal requires matching the agent to the opioid's potency and duration, a complex task given the increasingly unpredictable nature of illicit drugs today. Among the options, nasal nalmefene has emerged as a notable tool due to its rapid onset and longer duration compared with naloxone, the standard reversal drug. Administered via a simple spray, it acts quickly to restore breathing and helps reduce the risk of 'renarcotization,' in which overdose symptoms return after initial reversal. However, the American College of Medical Toxicology and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology advise caution in adopting nalmefene as a primary agent, citing potential risks like prolonged withdrawal symptoms or the return of respiratory depression as the drug's effects wane. These concerns are not unique to nalmefene, however, as all opioid antagonists carry similar risks. Further, these risks are readily managed with proper medical oversight and monitoring, a standard practice post-reversal. To put it plainly, I'd rather risk having to treat such side effects in a resuscitated and living person than to keep wondering 'what if' about the tens of thousands each year who sadly are not saved with our current efforts. The development of new reversal agents like nalmefene underscores the critical need for sustained research funding to address the evolving opioid crisis. Recent budget proposals, however, include significant cuts to the US National Institutes of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with the NIH facing a proposed 40% reduction to $27.5 billion and the CDC a 44% cut to $4 billion in 2026, threatening research into new treatments and public health responses. These cuts could stall progress on innovative solutions like Compound 368, which enhances naloxone's potency 7.6-fold and extends its effect tenfold, and covalent naloxone nanoparticles (cNLX-NP), which could sustain therapeutic levels for 48 hours to prevent renarcotization. While promising, cNLX-NP's slower onset requires pairing with fast-acting naloxone for immediate effect. Such potentially life-saving advancements will depend on consistent funding to move from lab to real-world use. Policy has and will continue to play a critical role in stemming the tide. The World Health Organization recommends restricting access to precursor chemicals used in fentanyl production and strengthening international controls on its analogs. I'm glad to see this is one of the few areas in which WHO and the Trump administration agree. Enhanced border security and surveillance can further limit the supply of illicit HPSOs. Equally important is education, with updated training for first responders and bystanders emphasizing the interplay between reversal agents and immediate CPR, as HPSOs rapidly induce hypoxia. Public awareness campaigns should highlight the potency of HPSOs and the need for rapid intervention, newer agents like nalmefene and/ or multiple doses or Narcan, and post-reversal monitoring. Thankfully, the CDC reports a recent decline in national overdose deaths. Yet vulnerabilities persist, particularly in communities facing geographic, racial or demographic disparities. The rise of fentanyl-laced stimulants – which drove a 50-fold increase in related overdose deaths from 2010 to 2021, accounting for 32.3% of fatal overdoses – complicates the crisis. These contaminated drugs turn non-opioid use into a lethal risk, as users often lack opioid tolerance. Comprehensive strategies combining policy, education, and innovative reversal tools are essential to address this polysubstance threat. Protecting Medicaid and overdose prevention funding is critical to sustaining progress in the fight against opioid overdose deaths. By pairing these efforts with evidence-based training and advancements in reversal strategies, we can better equip communities to confront the evolving opioid crisis and save lives.
CBS News
2 days ago
- CBS News
New drug called "flysky" is spreading throughout the Pittsburgh area, authorities say
A new drug called "flysky" has been spreading throughout the Pittsburgh region, and officials are warning that it can be deadly. In Fayette County over the last few days, there have been at least two overdose deaths from the drug. The drug, as it is sometimes labeled on bags sold on the street, is heroin laced with medetomidine, a tranquilizer used in veterinary medicine. Fayette County District Attorney Michael Aubele says that users need to be aware that this drug can be lethal. "My understanding is that medetomidine is a drug that is not affected by Narcan. So if you overdose on medetomidine, Narcan is not going to save you," Aubele said. Aubele says that anyone who may have a bag of flysky can turn it into authorities at several places in the county, including local police stations and the Crime Stoppers office, with no questions asked. He also says that not only are local and state police working to get these drugs off the streets, but that his office will prosecute those who are responsible for delivering these drugs into their community. "We want people to be safe. We want everybody to be alive and to be healthy. You just don't know what you are getting anymore on the street," Aubele added. Not only is this drug popping up in Fayette County and the Pittsburgh area, but it is also being seen in places like Philadelphia and Chicago. For more information on this substance, click here.
