BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A two-milligram dose of fentanyl can be enough to kill someone. The number of deaths from the drug has steadily climbed since 2019 and peaked in 2023, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.
“To just turn a blind eye, you’d be a fool,” said Janel Rodriguez, the founder of Forever 15 Project.
Rodriguez lost her son Noah to an overdose in 2022 when he was only 15 years old.
“So my body just hit the ground, screaming, crying, you know? And when it’s one of those like your life flashes before your eyes kind of moment, right?” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez began the Forever 15 Project to spread awareness about fentanyl and help provide resources for those who need it or know someone who does.
Since 2023, the number of deaths has decreased each year, down 46%.
“I will not stop. As long as I get an e-mail or a phone call from someone who is needing my help or a school that wants me to come present, I’m not going to stop,” said Rodriguez.
Hays County Deputy Mark Andrews has traveled the country with Rodriguez to educate people on the dangers.
Both of them are speaking at different events and schools, hoping to instill in the younger generations the importance of making good choices to avoid another tragedy.
Andrews says the number of arrests made related to selling fentanyl has not changed drastically, pointing towards continued education helping make an impact.
“Narcotics and drugs are very much like technology. It rapidly develops into something else. Giving up and not continuing education, I think, would be detrimental to their young person. So I just think it’s so important to keep talking, to keep it front and center,” said Andrews
While progress has been made towards preventing fentanyl deaths, officer Seth Waller with Bryan PD says that the time to inform the public and enforce strict punishments for those dealing the drug is just beginning.
“They can be getting a pill in the club, buying a pill off the street, a bag of something, and they smoke it or ingest it, or however they’re consuming that narcotic. They don’t 100% know what’s on it or in it. And it just takes that small amount for us to have a death on our hands or an OD or something like that,” said Waller.
For Rodriguez, she says the loss of her son will always hurt. But she has found purpose in the tragedy in continuing to help others.
“Being an advocate and traveling the United States and speaking primarily to middle and high school students, I mean, the amount of healing that this has brought to me is incredible,” said Rodriguez. “Noah was so full of life. He had a future ahead of him, you know, he wanted to go to A&M and become an engineer. I just want to offer hope, to students out there.”
To learn more about the Forever 15 Project, click here:
For those looking for resources and information in Bryan-College Station click here.
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