Parents will learn how to use Narcan at MCPS community forum on Fentanyl

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. - It’s deadly – and it’s in our schools.

That’s the message Montgomery County officials plan to deliver to parents Saturday morning when they host a community forum about Fentanyl.

"This is a really critical problem that we’re experiencing right now," said MCPS Director of Public Information Jessica Baxter, who added that the district has had to administer the life-saving drug Narcan eleven times since the start of the school year.

The issue goes well beyond Montgomery County.

RELATED: Parents and teachers are concerned with how MCPS handles drug overdoses

Officials with the DEA’s Washington Division – which covers D.C., Maryland, and Virginia – said that in 2022, they confiscated nearly 160,000 fake pills containing Fentanyl and more than 250 pounds of Fentanyl powder.

"That’s enough to kill 54%, half of all the residents in Virginia, Maryland, and D.C., and that’s, that’s frightening," said Special Agent in Charge Jared Forget, who added that the drug is predominantly being brought into the country by Mexican cartels.

"The members of those cartels are here," Forget explained. "They’re in Virginia, they’re in D.C., and they’re in Maryland."

READ MORE: Youth overdose deaths increased by 120% in Montgomery County

And that includes the region’s schools. It’s one reason why at Montgomery County’s event at Clarksburg High School Saturday, they’ll train parents on how to use Narcan, which can help reverse an overdose.

"This is not one of those traditional substance abuse problems that we’re seeing," Baxter explained. "It’s very pervasive and prevalent in the community, and we want families to be aware and talk to their children about the risks that are out there."

For more information about the MCPS event, you can click here.