While parents in the Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD were encouraged to attend a meeting Monday night to discuss the dangers of fentanyl, many chairs remained empty. However, those in attendance took home some valuable advice to implement with their student.
During a 6-month period, at least 10 students within the district overdosed. Three died after taking pills laced with lethal doses of fentanyl.
Law enforcement recently announced the arrest of three people charged in connection with dealing drugs inside CFBISD schools.
“The first line of defense is, we want to talk to our students,” said counselor Jo Gillen, Chief of Social Emotional Learning & Post-Secondary Readiness. “We want to inform them and make sure they really take this seriously.”
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Gillen said since October, all sixth through 12th graders have viewed a presentation on how just one pill can kill.
Parents were offered the same presentation Monday night. School counselors coached parents in both Spanish and English on how to approach conversations about Fentanyl as they admitted, it can be tough to parent during difficult situations.
“We don’t have to be liked all the time. We're doing what's right for our children,” Gillen said.
Gillen said she wants parents to know the district is tackling the fentanyl crisis head-on and hopes those attending Monday’s meeting leave empowered on how to talk to their children and protect them.
“They’re scared and we understand that,” Gillen said. “We also know they feel very confident in our counseling department and our student services department in how we’re handling this, but they’re scared. And when you’re scared you want answers.”
“I have an elementary school fourth grader and an eighth grader,” said Jonathan Fox who has two children enrolled at Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD.
Monday night was a chance to also connect with other concerned parents.
“What I would love to see are more of the parents reaching out to each other and, you know, networking kind of with each other,” Fox said.
Experts recommend frequent conversations about the disapproval of drug misuse, showing concern about the health and success of your student and being a good listener when they speak.
“If they’re not listening, and you’re not getting anywhere, see if your school counselor can help with that,” Gillen said.
Parents also got a better look at items including a backpack and hat that students may use to conceal drugs and money.
“There's a stash pocket in here. And this is also a backpack,” Gillen said. “There's no sense of smell, if there's weed or anything in it.”
The items, according to school officials, can be purchased on Amazon and Poshmark.
The hat, Gillen said, “it's called No Bad Ideas. And it has a zipper inside the cap where money can be stashed and drugs, also.”
School officials encouraged parents to report any suspicious activity or drug misuse directly to the school or through the free Anonymous Alerts application.
“If you see, hear, or know something, say something and do something. It is not snitching,” Gillen said.
The application is free and can be downloaded from the Apple Store, Google Play store, or the Chrome store. The activation code needed is “cfbisd.” Users are encouraged to add a screenshot, photo, or video about the incident.
For parents who could not attend, Gillen encourages them to reach out to their child’s campus counselor.
