Fentanyl is killing children in Arizona at an alarming rate
PHOENIX - A tragic trend is on the rise in Arizona. Children are dying from exposure to fentanyl.
"It is heartbreaking," said Kenneth McKinley, Director of Childhelp Arizona.
The Arizona Department of Child Safety recorded 34 child deaths due to fentanyl last year. Eight of those children were under the age of five.
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"Almost on a weekly basis, I'll get a call-out that says there's a three-year-old, a two-year-old, a one-year-old at the emergency room at Phoenix Children's and they're administering Narcan," McKinley said.
Phoenix Police say the rising use of fentanyl is due in part to its low cost.
"Heroin, methamphetamines, they were higher costs. We're seeing these pills as cheap as 50 cents. So, again, they're very accessible, they're very plentiful. Even the residue itself can be fatal," said sargent Phil Krynsky of Phoenix Police.
"This can be found in locations where kids are supposed to frequent"
Not all cases of exposure come from a household where drug use is happening.
"This can be found in locations where kids are supposed to frequent: parks, or just walking down the street with their parents, sitting at a bus stop. Sometimes individuals that see law enforcement and they ditch whatever drugs that they have, and again, they leave it behind because it's not that high of a cost and it could be in the grasp of kids," Krynsky said.
Once the powerful drug is in that grasp, the aftermath of any exposure sticks with families.
Family history of drug use is a contributing factor
"The families - I think - deal with a lot of blame and guilt and shame and that sort of thing and we know that there's a connection to - even outside of drug exposure - there's a connection between drug use, family history of drug use, and child abuse," McKinley added.
Fighting the epidemic includes educating the public and working to break the cycle of drug use in families in every community.
"Getting it out, letting us know, educating our children, and again getting people off the use of these drugs or at least letting them know that one pill that you take or you try could be your last one," Krynsky says.
Officials encourage people to keep Narcan handy
In Arizona, any licensed pharmacist can distribute Narcan over the counter and it's widely available through various organizations and agencies.
Officials encourage anyone who knows a drug user to keep Narcan handy in case of an accidental overdose.