Drug overdose is on the rise. It is important to educate people on the dangers of it and how to prevent it. Today, Mr. Larry Durant and Ms. Deirdre Johnson came to speak to us about peer recovery and overdose prevention. Did you know overdose is mainly caused by the drug, fentanyl? Fentanyl is a powerful addictive painkiller opioid that is illegally made and sold on the streets. It is added to drugs like heroin, meth, and ecstasy, and sold by unlicensed drug dealers whose main purpose is to make money. They don't care if they are selling it to a young teenager or an elderly man. You may be thinking: why do people take drugs anyway? Don't they know it's not good for them? Drugs and alcohol are seen as a relief for people experiencing stress, trauma, pain, or depression. They keep doing it so they can forget about their problems and the real world. It becomes addictive thanks to the nicotine in it and starts affecting the brain and its neurochemistry. A fentanyl overdose can quickly cause death, with the symptoms starting with the loss of consciousness, pinpoint pupils, slowed breathing, slow/erratic heart rate, vomiting, muscle spasms, or seizures. The skin might even turn blue or gray! If this happens to you, there is a drug, called naloxone, that can reverse the overdose. Every person who uses opioids should have this in case of a health emergency. In conclusion, no one should do drugs because it is dangerous and deadly. We should spread awareness to end it once and for all.
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