The narcotics epidemic is at an all-time high. Teenagers around the country are dying or overdosing because of drugs as more are mixed with other substances such as fentanyl, resulting in fatal consequences. This problem has also affected West Covina and our schools.

Percocet has been a popular drug of choice amongst WCHS students, and it is risky as it can potentially be laced with fentanyl. The only way to find out is by lab testing them, making it impossible to determine the authenticity with the naked eye.

Illicit use of drugs not only has temporary effects, but also long term effects. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), brain damage and organ failure are all linked to the constant use of narcotics. 

What is Fentanyl?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is made in a lab, primarily produced in Mexico and China. According to the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), it is trafficked mainly to the United States. The substance has been used to treat cancer pain and can be prescribed in the form of pills. According to the CDC, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, making it a highly addictive substance.

According to American healthcare company GoodRX, effects of fentanyl can last 30 minutes, while other drugs such as meth and marijuana last from two hours or more, explaining the high demand and usage of fentanyl.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIH) states that narcotics including heroine, cocaine, methamphetamines, MDMA/Ecstasy, and Percocet are being mixed with fentanyl as it is cheap to produce, causing harmful effects for its users. Symptoms of overdosage include vomiting, trouble breathing, and unconsciousness where NARCAN is administered in attempts to reverse these effects.

What is NARCAN and its purpose?

NARCAN (Naloxone) is a prescribed drug that helps prevent overdoses from being fatal. According to Health.gov., a website operated by the United States federal government under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, it comes in a nasal spray or injectable needle that has to be administered through one nostril, pressing the plunger firmly to insert the dose, or injected in a person’s body. Naloxone helps reverse and block the symptoms of opioid overconsumption and opens the airways of the person affected, possibly saving a life.

Who is using drugs and why?

Teenagers make up a large number of drug users. According to the Journal of Medical Association, 884 teenagers died from fatal overdoses in 2021 and that number is growing. Students consume drugs on school campuses, which led to the September 2022 fatality of 14-year-old freshman Luna Hinojosa of Nogales High School in La Puente, showing how close the problem is to West Covina.

According to the DEA, suppliers are only a small portion of the chain, there are thousands of suppliers that are responsible for the distribution of fentanyl, going back to Mexican cartels, making it hard to blame one source.

A local illegal narcotics distributor, who has been selling drugs within the city of West Covina, including students, described the growing trend of buyers and consumers. 

“The rise of customers started during the pandemic as many people were at home and had nothing to do, just young kids who go through issues and use drugs as an escape, many don’t have a lot of money and buy percs as it is inexpensive,” stated the drug distributor.

According to Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a nonprofit organization focusing on national health issues, “Concerns about adolescent mental health and substance use have increased recently, particularly in light of gun violence and the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent years, many adolescents have experienced worsened emotional health, increased stress, and a lack of peer connection. Other mental health and substance use concerns are on the rise – including drug overdose deaths, self-harm, and eating disorders.”

The CDC states that during the first full year of the pandemic in the United States, monthly drug overdose deaths nearly tripled through the end of 2021. CDC also states that “there was evidence that 25% of adolescent overdose deaths may have involved counterfeit pills. Fentanyl was involved in 84% of the deaths while opioids of any type were involved in 91%.”

“Fentanyl is becoming a problem, most of the stuff on the street is fake and you can’t get any actual pills unless they’re prescribed, which is the main problem and cause for the rise of overdosing,” continued the drug distributor.

A West Covina High School sophomore, who wished to remain anonymous, described his personal experience with drugs and the reason why pills are so popular and consumed on campus.

“Taking a Perc was never my first thought, it kind of just started, all my friends started taking it and decided to try it, now I can’t even function without it,” stated the WCHS sophomore.

What has been done?

According to the “Dead on Arrival” video presented to WCHS students at grade level assemblies held last November, narcotics are easily accessible and can be bought on social media platforms with a touch of a screen. 

After two known on-campus “medical emergencies” dated October and December of 2022, Principal Dr. Charles Park stated that there is a drug problem on our campus.

Administrators at WCHS have been working on this issue and warned students of the dangers of fentanyl affecting the country. Park stated what will happen on campus moving forward with this growing issue.

“Teachers and authorized staff will be carrying NARCAN and will be deployed in the case of a student overdosing,” stated Park.

“I foresee having more issues, we only have a short amount of time to attend to these issues and we’re working on bettering our response time,” continued Park.

There has not been a clear solution, making it stressful for adults to help teenagers to stay away from drug consumption.

Senior Robbie Estrada, who goes by the pronouns they/them, has been actively working on the issue of drugs on campus by educating teen peers on the dangers of overconsumption, attempting to work with their counselor to address the issue, and carrying NARCAN that they obtained in a local access point held by the Overdose Education + Naloxone Distribution (OEND), in case of an overdose.

“My top priority is keeping people alive, especially these young kids who are addicted, trying to eliminate the aspect of shame and the punishment,” Estrada stated.

There have been cases where students have quit the use of narcotics altogether due to the dangers and bad experiences. An anonymous WCHS senior shared the reasons why he stopped consuming all-together.

“I used to take percs (Percocet) and Xanax to help with my anxiety and other issues I had, one day I felt really sick mentally and physically, I finally realized that if I kept taking them, eventually I was going to end up dead,” stated the WCHS senior.

Users are only getting younger as shown with the incident in Nogales High School and 15-year-old Melanie Ramos from Los Angeles, who died of a fatal overdose at Helen Bernstein High School in September of 2022.

It is difficult to determine what exactly is in a pill, or any drug consumed. It is best to never take drugs or medicine from unknown sources as they not only cause a bad trip, but can cost you your life.