A panel of law enforcement officials, public health experts and local politicians answered questions from parents at a fentanyl town hall Thursday night.

A fentanyl town hall event hosted by the Santa Clarita Valley Signal took place at the Canyon Country Community Center Thursday, with officials and Santa Clarita Valley community groups joining to discuss dangers of fentanyl as well as what to do in the event of an overdose.

Panelists included Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station Captain Justin Diez and Santa Clarita Mayor Jason Gibbs.

Superintendent Mike Kuhlman with the William S. Hart Union High School District also spoke at the event.

A panelist also demonstrated how to use Narcan to reverse an opioid overdose.

The town hall was open for individuals 18 and older. At the event, attendees were encouraged to ask questions and participate in discussions with SCV Sheriff Deputies, hospital staff, and other officials.

About Fentanyl

During the event, panelists discussed how fentanyl is more dangerous than other drugs.

The synthetic opioid has been found laced with counterfeit reproductions of drugs like oxycodone, ecstasy and even marijuana.

It is extremely potent, and about 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin.

“It’s one dose,” Barger said. “This is not an overdose, this is poisoning death.”

With fentanyl, those experimenting with drugs for the first time can see fatal consequences.

Warning Signs 

During the town hall, officials discussed warning signs of substance use in children.

“Change in grades, change in friends, change in attitude, isolation.” said Cary Quashen, founder and operator of Action Drug Rehab in Santa Clarita. “Little anger outbursts, all those telltale signs.”

Quashen and other panelists encouraged parents to follow their gut feeling. Those who have concerns can have their children drug tested for free at ACTION or purchase their own at-home tests.

What Parents Can Do

Panelists at the event encouraged parents to prevent overdoses by talking to kids about the dangers of fentanyl from a young age.

“You need to talk to them when they’re three years old,” said Quashen. “Not when they’re 10 or 15… it’s gotta be said over and over again. Your kids need to be hard wired when they’re young about the dangers of drugs.”

Panelists said parents with teens should make time to be with their kids for part of the day, especially through eating meals together. Guardians were asked to make sure they know who their children’s friends are.

Olivia Flores, a panelist who recently lost her then-17 year old brother to a fentanyl overdose, suggested keeping an eye on social media use.

“Just social media in general really is influencing kids to think ecstasy is okay, that cocaine is okay,” said Flores. “It’s being fed to children like it’s okay but it’s genuinely killing people.”

If someone’s child is addicted to drugs or uses consistently, parents can draw on county resources from the L.A. County Department of Public Health for help.

Solutions (peer-to-peer programs, narcan in schools)

Some solutions to help stop overdose deaths include peer-to-peer programs and making naloxone, better known as Narcan, available to reverse the effects of overdoses.

Through peer-to-peer programs, student ambassadors are taught about the dangers of fentanyl. Those ambassadors then go on to teach other students directly about the risks of drug use on high school and college campuses.

The peer-to-peer method has been found to be more effective than having officials inform students.

“Peer-to-peer is what’s really gonna make it happen,” Barger said. “I know when we had the crisis going on on our campuses we recognized that you need to work with the teachers and the students to identify signs (of drug use).”

Fentanyl In Santa Clarita

This event comes after the recent increase in fentanyl overdoses nationwide, the effects of which were also witnessed in Santa Clarita Valley.

Since March 2021, Santa Clarita Valley has been monitoring deaths due to fentanyl overdose. According to officials, from March to December of 2021, there were a reported 13 deaths due to overdose.

In 2022, there were 31 confirmed deaths due to overdose, although that could be an undercount because many deaths are still under investigation, according to Carrie Lujan, spokeswoman for Santa Clarita.

Ed. Note: Contributions from Zoya Alam

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