Song for Charlie, a nonprofit centering fentanyl awareness, hosted a mandatory fentanyl awareness assembly for SVHS in partnership with the Sonoma Fire Department on Friday, March 8. Freshmen and sophomores had an informational assembly during the morning periods while upperclassmen attended in the afternoon.

Speaker Laura Dider shared the story of losing her son to fake pills containing fentanyl to emphasize the dangers of non-prescribed street drugs, and the tragic loss prompted her and her family to create the organization Song for Charlie. She warned students of the “chocolate chip cookie” analogy, explaining that fentanyl pills being made in batches contain inconsistent amounts of fentanyl from pill to pill, some being very weak and some dangerously potent. The random distribution of fentanyl in pills is similar to the varying amount of chocolate chips in a chocolate chip cookie. 

Common signs of fentanyl overdose include dizziness, nausea and vomiting, cold and clammy skin, coma, difficulty breathing, and small pupils. Students must recognize these signs and call 911 in case of a suspected emergency. 

Sonoma firefighters assured students that if first responders are called in the event of a fentanyl overdose, neither the overdose victim nor anyone with them can be arrested for opioid use. Amnesty is granted to encourage youth to call emergency services and prioritize saving lives. 

Students learned about Narcan, a drug that reverses the effects of opioid overdoses. Coming in the form of nasal spray, Narcan is life-saving and has no harmful side effects. It is an over-the-counter drug sold in all pharmacies, and it is impossible to overdose on Narcan, so students should not worry about over-administrating the drug. Narcan can be found in the Wellness Center on campus, free for all students. 

Fentanyl is currently the most deadly drug in the United States, one hundred times more potent than morphine. It is a synthetic opioid commonly mixed with other drugs such as Xanax, Adderall, and Oxycodone in pill form.  

According to Song of Charlie, “Most people, including school administrators, don’t have a good understanding of how the combination of fentanyl pills and social media is leading to a dramatic increase of drug deaths in teenagers today.” It is incredibly easy for teenagers to purchase fake pills on various social media sites unknowingly. Therefore, the nonprofit prioritizes the education of both teenagers and adults. 

Continued awareness regarding the dangers of fentanyl and the importance of the availability of Narcan should be continued to be supported at SVHS and all schools across the country.