10/24/2023
Greetings Bulldogs!!
Please join us tonight for Fentanyl Awareness Night at 7 p.m. in the Ernest Epps Admin Building located at 810 E. Old Greenville Road, Royse City, Texas 75189 in the training room.
Fentanyl use among teens is on the rise. Unfortunately, so is the risk of overdose. According to the CDC, Fentanyl overdoses involving teens has tripled in the last two years. Our staff needs to be prepared if such an event ever impacts our campus.
It is important that we are equipped with the knowledge of being able to identify when a student is in crisis. If a student overdoses on Fentanyl, there are ways to save the student’s life, and every minute counts.
Come hear from district staff and members of the Texas National Guard Joint Counterdrug Task Force about ways to be prepared. Hope to see you there!
In the meantime here are some helpful tips from TEA's Fentanyl Response Toolkit.
Signs of a possible overdose:
• Very small pupils
• Slow or shallow breathing or stopped breathing
• Cold, clammy skin
• Gray, blue or pale skin
• Blue or purple lips and nails
• Decreased alertness, semi-consciousness or loss of consciousness
• Limp arms and legs
• Difficulty speaking or slurred speech
• Vomiting or making choking or gurgling sounds
If a student is displaying any of these signs, it is important to get help immediately. Ensure that all students and non-essential personnel have been removed from the area. **The campus administrator should consider calling for a lock-in until emergency personnel have left the building.**
What to do:
• Call 911. Provide them with as much information as you know.
• Call for your campus school nurse.
• If Naloxone/Narcan is available, administer to student immediately. It may have to be given more than once.
• Stay with the student to monitor their breathing. If they are awake, try to keep them awake and alert to the best of your ability. Avoid forcefully slapping to keep them awake. This could cause injury. Perform CPR if the student stops breathing.
• To prevent choking, turn them on their side. Do not try to induce vomiting as this can increase the risk of choking.
• Never leave a student alone or unattended. Wait until emergency personnel are with the student.
• Have the front office contact the parent/guardian/caregiver to inform them of the situation.
To find more information about this drug, please visit Fentanyl Awareness & Prevention - Texas School Mental Health (schoolmentalhealthtx.org).
