Combating fentanyl as rates for unsafe tablets drop to $1

KANSAS CITY, Kan. - - Fentanyl is the primary killer of young people in America, and it's never been more affordable, according to specialists.

It's a frightening fight for cops, health care workers, and families of teenagers and young people who might choose to pop a tablet and not recognize it consists of fentanyl.

Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., consulted with a leaders, moms and dads, and police Tuesday morning to speak about what they are seeing when it concerns fentanyl in the KCK community.

Marshall said he wished to speak with individuals who are dealing with the crisis every day.

" This is the number one killer of young people now in America, every day in Kansas one or two young people pass away from fentanyl poisoning, we're using Narcan 10, 12 times a day," Marshall stated.

There have actually already been 71 overdoses in Wyandotte County this year according to Kansas City, Kan., Police Chief Karl Oakman. 10 of those overdoses were fatal.

Oakman said his department has recovered 153,000 tablets and 25 pounds of fentanyl.

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" I think the secret to it is everybody interacting from chosen authorities, our school officials, our public health authorities, and I believe that's how we require to come together because this is a major issue," Oakman stated.

Part of the reason it's so serious is now anyone can pay for a tablet that could be laced with fentanyl, according to Libby Davis who lost her boy to a lethal fentanyl overdose.

Davis stated a few of the lethal tablets can be as cheap as $1 a tablet.

" The DEA seized 50.6 million tablets and after evaluating they exposed that more than 99 percent of them were in reality fake and made with fentanyl and 6 out of 10 of them include a lethal dosage of fentanyl so those are the numbers that I want every family, every teenager in America to understand that your possibilities of getting something real off of a social networks app is slim to none," Davis stated.

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The Director of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation said it is managing a 900% spike in evidence including fentanyl. The boost has actually happened in just the previous 2 years.

Professionals think the only way to stop the crisis is by informing young adults about the risks of buying the tablets. Since that is the only way to get drugs off the streets, cops also say they need to jail dealers and providers.