Imagine a tiny, almost invisible substance that has the power to change lives in an instant. That’s fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid that’s been making headlines for all the wrong reasons. It’s not just about the statistics and news reports; it’s about real people and their families, who find their lives turned upside down by accidental exposure to this dangerous drug.
During our Community Conversations – Fentanyl & Your Family event in May, Della Kerr from the OC HealthCare Agency turned this very serious subject into an informative and entertaining evening. Della is a delightful presenter and delivered the dangers and misconceptions about fentanyl and other opioids while keeping the audience of 25 engaged.
Key TakeawaysÂ
Some of the key-take aways from the evening were:
- Fentanyl is incredibly powerful—50 to 100 times more potent than morphine. According to the CDC, even a tiny amount as small as 2 milligrams can be lethal, especially for children. While it’s used medically for severe pain, accidental or unintentional exposure can have devastating consequences.
- According to the DEA, 7 out of every 10 pills they tested with fentanyl were potentially lethal.
- Medications in the home need to be monitored, secured and destroyed when no longer needed.
- Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans between the ages of 18 and 45.
- There were more than 600 opioid/fentanyl related deaths in Orange County in 2022
After reviewing the signs of an opioid overdose, what to do if you suspect an overdoes, and how to administer naloxone with the group, each participant was able to take a box with two doses with them.
June Community Conversation
In June, we will have a presentation by Megan Witbracht and her team from UCI MIND on Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. She will explain the importance of early testing and implementing healthy lifestyle practices protect the brain as we age and reduce the risk of memory problems later in life.
Save the date: Thursday, June 27th from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
Rossmoor Community Conversations are driven by community requests. If there’s a community relevant topic that you’d like to hear more about, please let us know. We will do what we can to find a subject matter expert to share in a future Community Conversation.Â
