TEXAS, USA — The fentanyl crisis is affecting teenagers not just in the Permian Basin, but across the State of Texas.
While it has been taken by all ages, fentanyl can have even more devastating effects on teenagers.
A teenager's body has not always finished developing. So, when they ingest fentanyl, they don't realize the consequences until it is too late. Especially when it is mixed in with other drugs or too much is taken at one time.
"Because fentanyl is so potent and strong, they don't realize that they are putting more than the lethal amount in these drugs and these kids don't even have a fighting chance," said Jessica Aguilar, the trauma outreach and injury program coordinator at Medical Health Center.
Fentanyl is normally used by hospitals as a form of pain medication. However, it is only applied in micro doses because of its potency, and for good reason.
“It doesn't necessarily amplify the effects of a drug, but what it does is, when given in large amounts, can suppress your will to breathe," Aguilar said. "Your body will not be able to get the oxygen it needs. Without oxygen, brain cells die, your heart cells die, your body starts to die.”
So, how is fentanyl getting into the Permian Basin and into the hands of teens?
Michelle Watson of the 1:11 Project - a group dedicated to raising awareness of fentanyl overdoses - said parents should be keeping an eye on their kid's phone as social media is used more and more to spread fentanyl.
“This is where a lot of things are going on: Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, all the social platforms," Watson said. "These kids are messaging back and forth. Especially Snapchat, because the messages can be deleted.”
There are some other warning signs parents can keep a look out for, such as hidden stashes or sleeping too long.
When it comes to overdoses, there are some major warning signs everyone should look out for.
“You can encounter someone who's taken something, and if you notice that they are slumped over or they're not breathing or they're slurring their words. Those are all signs of an overdose and you could potentially save someone's life,” Watson said.
That is when Narcan comes into play.
Narcan is described as an "opioid antagonist" and can keep someone who is overdosing on fentanyl alive long enough for the paramedics to arrive.
“It binds to the receptor and it pushes the need for the drug off and it kind of coats it for the time being," Aguilar said. "So it kind of essentially steals their high for a second, waking the patient up so that they be able to breathe or get any type of treatment.”
Many young people across the state, however, don't understand the consequences that they could face when they start getting into fentanyl.
“These kids are afraid and half of them do not understand right now that this is the law. If you give someone fentanyl and they die, it is a murder charge," Watson said. "Young people still don't understand the severity of this.”