Grandparents often have a role in shaping the lives of their grandchildren. It’s an opportunity to pass on knowledge. It can be an excellent chance to speak about fentanyl, other drugs, peer pressure and the increasing risks of overdose associated with recreational drug use.
Prevention and education can go a long way with young people. It can help them make informed and responsible decisions and avoid potentially dangerous situations.
Resources like the Seniors’ Guide to Fentanyl and local drug education in South Carolina play an important role. It makes speaking about the topics easier and becomes a reliable source of factual information.
There are practical approaches that grandparents can take to begin the conversation, such as keeping things age-appropriate and using language that is easy for a child or teen to understand. There are different ways to discuss the topic depending on their age.
When speaking to teens or young adults, ask open-ended questions like: What do you know about fentanyl? Or What are your thoughts on drug use? Are you concerned about someone offering you drugs?
This can help start a conversation and fill the void with factual information about fentanyl and its risks.
Share personal experiences and examples of peer pressure and how it was managed. While the approaches to peer pressure are much different today because of social media, the practical methods of handling or avoiding it can still be applied.
Teens can often experience significant peer pressure online through their social media platforms. Social media also glorifies drug and alcohol use.
Please encourage them to speak to their parents or caregivers and help them create a trusting environment with the people they live with. Get them to ask questions and voice their opinions, as this becomes the best way to share ideas and gain knowledge.
Illegally made fentanyl comes in different forms. Powdered fentanyl looks like other drugs. It is commonly mixed with heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. It is also made to mimic prescription pain medication.
Illegal pain pills are easily bought on social media platforms. Drug dealers use code words and emojis to advertise products and young people are often targeted.
From 2020 to 2021, drug overdose deaths involving fentanyl increased by more than 35% in South Carolina, from 1,100 to 1,449 deaths. Fentanyl was involved in more than two-thirds of all opioid overdose deaths in the state.