Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

Recently the Florida Press Association held its annual newspaper contest, and I was pleased to learn that I won second place in the Serious Column category. The article, titled “Substance use disorder is a community problem,” (June 4, 2021), was a result of the initiative taken by many members of the community to make a difference in the fight against drug abuse.

The program I talked about — B’ri’ut (Hebrew for acceptance and wellness), sponsored by the Jewish Federation and backed by several synagogues and agencies — kicked off with a meeting that included five panelists who had their own personal experiences with drugs. The meeting was a success. NARCAN® was made available to every person who attended. Every effort was made to reach out to families and individuals who wanted help. However, as with many well-intentioned efforts, the program soon sort of fizzled out. Other things became important. The program was renamed Save A Life. It’s intent is to orient people to what is going on.

The outreach’s goal isn’t aimed at those addicted to drugs (although they need help). It is directed at the youth —starting with middle-school-aged young people who are on the “front line” of peer pressure to sample the tempting wares. These are the young people who are our brightest and our next generation of leaders; those who have not tried drugs but you can bet your bottom dollar most definitely will be invited by a friend to try something.

Just like defending Israel against anti-Zionists who spread their vile misinformation, the best defense is to be well informed. Children must understand that trying a substance to “have a good time” can be deadly.

Here is some helpful information:

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death among 18 to 45 year olds — not Covid, suicides, accidents or even “climate change.” Did you know that so many drugs, including Xanax and marijuana, are laced with fentanyl? We can thank the Chinese and the Cartel who have sent drug smugglers over our Southern border into our country. Fentanyl pills are even being seized from smugglers crossing the border colored and disguised looking like candy! Don’t take my word for it, The Seattle Times just reported (Sept. 1, 2022) that “fentanyl dyed and shaped so it looks like candy has made its way to the Pacific Northwest.” The Washington Examiner reported on Aug. 31, 2022, “Biden’s failures at the border are causing a fentanyl crisis in the United States.” Aug. 26, the New York Post reported “$4.3M in fentanyl was seized by Arizona border agents. U.S Customs and Border Protection reported that in 2021, … seized slightly more than 11,000 lbs. of fentanyl. But in 2022, fentanyl seizures have soared — slightly over 10,600 lbs. has already been seized.” CBS News reported on Aug. 29 “$390K in fentanyl was seized at the Texas-Mexico border.” And this is only what is captured. How much has gotten through?

I am not making any political statement here. I am addressing the horrible state of out-of-control availability of drugs laced with fentanyl making their way into our country. And it only takes 2 milligrams of this substance to kill a person.

Our children need to know this, even if it is frightening.

If someone passes out, what do you do? Of course, call 911. But how can you help while waiting for the EMTs to arrive? Teach about and carry Narcan. Narcan sprayed in the nostrils will give a person who overdosed 90 minutes of life. Time enough to call 911 and have EMTs take over. It is not harmful to people who aren’t having an overdose — so giving it without knowing for sure won’t hurt the person. And of course, only take medicine prescribed by your doctor.

It’s nice to receive an award, and especially about a topic that is so serious. But it would be even nicer if we did not lose one single person to drugs.