Alexandria Public Schools, DEA host substance abuse prevention workshop for parents
Alexandria Public Schools hosts substance abuse prevention workshop for parents
The fentanyl crisis continues to claim lives, including children. Alexandria Public Schools is teaming up with the DEA to provide families with the tools they need to keep their kids safe from drugs. FOX 5's Nana-Sentuo Bonsu spoke to concerned parents at the substance abuse prevention workshop at Alexandria City High School.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. - The fentanyl crisis continues to claim lives, including children, across the country.
Alexandria Public Schools is teaming up with the DEA to provide families with the tools they need to keep their kids safe from drugs.
The main goal of Wednesday's meeting at Alexandria City High School was to create awareness and educate. According to the DEA, fentanyl is now the leading cause of death for people 18 to 45, and it’s starting to claim the lives of students in middle and high school.
"Sending my child out every day, my fear is just her going to school," said Talisha Parker, an Alexandria City High School parent.
Knowing that fentanyl is taking over the hallways inside schools is a scary reality for this mother who has a 15-year-old at Alexandria City High School.
"They try to do a lot of things to fit in, so I want to know the signs just in case it happens and hits home in my house," Parker said.
Jared Forget is the special agent in charge of the DEA's Washington division.
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"I’ve been working for the DEA for 20 years and this is the deadliest drug I’ve seen in my entire career," Forget said.
Jared Forget, DEA's Washington division
He says fentanyl can sometimes be disguised as candy.
"This super powerful drug is 50 times more powerful than heroin," he explained.
Forget says a lot of kids are buying what they think is Xanex or oxy online, but instead getting this deadly drug.
"A DEA agent, we can’t tell the difference between a legitimate oxycodone pill for example or a fake one. We can’t tell the difference," he said. "So, certainly a young person can not tell the difference."
At the meeting held in the ACHS cafeteria, Alexandria Public School leaders and the DEA left families with the facts, information, and resources to keep their kids safe.
"So families can identify when the child may be using, the risk behaviors they may present, and if they can tell where they can go for help," said Fredy Martinez, ACPS' substance abuse services coordinator. "It makes a huge difference if they have the information on time."
Agent Forget wants the community to know that their main priority is enforcement.
"We are going after those cartels responsible for virtually all the fentanyl we are seeing in the City of Alexandria. It’s coming from those cartels," he said.