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FAKE PILL AWARENESS

MIDDLE SCHOOL

& HIGH SCHOOL TOOLKIT

What’s Happening? 

Deaths from fake pills with fentanyl are surging in every state across the country. Drug deaths are no longer impacting just people fighting the disease of addiction. Due to the introduction of fentanyl into our nation's illicit drug supply, young students, some as young as 13, are dying from fentanyl-related poisonings. Unknowing teens think they are getting familiar prescription medicines, but instead are getting the much more powerful fentanyl and losing their lives— teenagers who had hopes and dreams and plans, and who deserved to have long, full lives. 

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Teens are purchasing what they think are OxyContin, Percocet or Xanax pills via social media, but drug dealers are making these fake pills with the cheaper, stronger and more deadly synthetic drug called fentanyl to increase their profits. Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Fentanyl is odorless, tasteless and colorless. Teens never know what they’re getting. One pill can kill them. One pill.

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The pills are nicknamed “Blues” for their common color (though they can come in other colors) or “M30s” for the stamp on the pills. The tablets are so well made that even experienced users say that they can’t tell the difference between a counterfeit pill and a pill manufactured by a pharmaceutical company.

To be clear, these are not pharmaceutical-grade painkillers; they are pills made by drug dealers, mostly outside the country. There is no quality control. Pills in the same batch can have wildly varying levels of fentanyl. The amount of fentanyl it takes to overdose and die is equivalent to two grains of sand.

 

In September 2021, the DEA issued its first safety alert in six years to warn Americans of “the alarming increase in the lethality and availability of fake prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.” The DEA has seized counterfeit pills in every state in unprecedented quantities. Read more to learn about our nation’s fake pill crisis.

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The DEA points to advertisements on social media platforms like Snapchat, Tiktok, and Instagram. Officials say that young people find pills especially appealing because they’re cheap, more socially acceptable than meth or heroin and don’t have a tell-tale smell like alcohol or marijuana.

 

Youth deaths from fake pills is not a problem that can be fixed by parents or schools alone; it is a problem communities need to tackle together: parents, students, social media companies, law enforcement, health care professionals, schools, and more all need to create a safe and healthy environment for their kids. This toolkit is intended to help schools and other similar youth organizations to educate their communities about the dangers of fake prescription pills.

  • Intro
    A little time planning can go a long way and give you much more success than just forwarding a mail or a link. Think through these topics and be sure to do your research.
  • Educate yourself
    Make sure you have a good understanding of what is happening with the drug landscape in America with the introduction of fentanyl so you are able to competently and confidently speak to the issues. Some good resources: The Fentapill Problem: A Summary Parent Resources
  • Personal Story
    Are you a bereaved parent yourself or have a close friend or family member who is? Personal stories have huge impact. Think about if and how you want to tell that story as part of this effort in a way that makes the impact you are looking for and respects your child and family. Decide what aspects of your story you are not willing to share or are not important to the main message.
  • Local News
    Locate one or more relatively recent news stories from your own community or those nearby (google ‘fentanyl’ and your city or state). The more current and specific the story is about age, Fentapills, social media, etc., the better. Save these web links.
  • Data
    Find key data points and information about fentanyl/fentapills from reputable places that support the idea that this is needed in your community. If you can access local data and information through your local health department or law enforcement, that is ideal. Also be on the lookout for specific data points in local news articles. Songforcharlie.org is a good place for national numbers. Here are some links that can help you find national and state insights: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nvss/vsrr/drug-overdose-data.htm#dashboard https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2020/han00438.asp https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/analysis.html https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/synthetic/index.html https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00395.asp https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-overdose-crisis https://www.drugabuse.gov/drug-topics/opioids/opioid-summaries-by-state
  • Existing curriculum
    If your school district publishes their learning standards and/or curriculum, find out what is already included on this topic. If you have a teacher contact that teaches health curriculum, they can help you find this. It can be helpful if you know the specific learning standard/target you are trying to influence (i.e.: “Educate students on the social and health impacts of misuse of controlled substances”). If you can get your hands on classroom content, it is helpful to know if it specifically covers fake pills that can easily bought on social media so you know if there is a gap in the existing curriculum being taught in your schools.

CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION MATERIALS

FREE middle and high school learning material is available through either link below. The Classroom Lesson Materials come from several different sources. The Fake & Fatal material was developed by teachers in the Beaverton School District (Oregon) using best known practices. The lessons were developed to be turn-key and can be used as is in conjunction with the current drug curriculum your district uses, or they can be modified to fit your needs.   

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NOTE: Beaverton Fake & Fatal classroom material expected to be updated by July 2023. 

FEEDBACK

We are always looking for ways to improve this toolkit. If you have any suggestions or ideas, please share them with 

realtalk@songforcharlie.org.

Thank you!

All of the resources on this website are FREE to use;
we just ask that you CLICK HERE to let us know so we know how far our material is reaching. 
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