A new bill in Albany could soon require every school in New York State to teach students about fentanyl.
The story behind why one lawmaker is pushing so hard for it is as heartbreaking as it is urgent.
New York Schools Could Soon Be Required To Teach Kids About Fentanyl
Kent Nishimura, Getty ImagesKent Nishimura, Getty Images
The Fentanyl Fathers and Mothers Act, introduced by Assemblyman Robert Smullen, would bring fentanyl education programs into all public, charter, and private schools statewide.
If passed, the bill would require every public, charter, and private school in New York State to teach students about the dangers of fentanyl.
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Republican Assemblyman Robert Smullen of the Mohawk Valley introduced the bill with a simple goal: make sure kids know exactly how deadly this drug is before they ever come across it.
Photo by Randy Laybourne on Unsplasha close up of a piece of paper
A fatal dose of fentanyl can be as small as the tip of a pencil. Drug dealers are increasingly pressing it into counterfeit pills or mixing it into other substances like amphetamines bought online, meaning kids can take what they think is something else entirely and never wake up.
On top of that, cartels are now cutting fentanyl supplies with dangerous animal tranquilizers, making the drug even more unpredictable and deadly.
Here’s How The Law Would Work
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The program would bring bereaved parents who have lost children to fentanyl into schools to share their stories directly with students. It would encourage the creation of S.A.F.E. Clubs, which stands for Students Advocating Fentanyl Education, with support from the advocacy group Fentanyl Fathers.
Schools would also be required to track student engagement through surveys and monitor how naloxone, the overdose-reversing medication, is being distributed on campus.
State funding would be set aside to develop instructional materials, run training programs, and evaluate whether the program is actually working.
If the bill passes, it would take effect on July 1st of the following year and apply to all school years after that.
In the meantime, New York’s Office of Addiction Services and Supports is continuing its own outreach efforts, including free naloxone distribution and school presentations tied to National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.
The bill has not yet passed.
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