Two families, along with representatives of the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State University, and Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office were at Jackson Academy last week for presentations about misuse of controlled substances, such as Fentanyl, recognized in recent years as the leading cause of death for ages 18-45. The first session was tailored for an audience of ninth through twelfth graders, while the second session reached an audience of parents from JA and neighboring schools.
The central part of the presentations came from the relatives of two students who had died during college from exposure to Fentanyl. Kim and Richard Johnson and their daughter Lindsey ‘24, spoke about Katie ‘18, who lost her life after taking an anxiety medication that was laced with Fentanyl. Her father pointed out that there is a misconception that deaths associated with Fentanyl are overdoses. In Katie’s case, she was taking what she thought was a medication for anxiety. There are instances where an individual is taking a medication that is typically prescribed but has been obtained from an unauthorized source and is laced with an unwanted substance. Speakers pointed out the vital importance of obtaining prescribed medication only from legitimate pharmacies and never using another person’s medication. They also pointed out that it takes only two mg of Fentanyl to cause death.
Cal Mayo Jr. spoke on behalf of he and his wife Caroline about their son, Thomas, who died after exposure to counterfeit pills laced with Fentanyl. Thomas had developed an addiction, and he had been through rehabilitation. Later, his life was lost after he and two other students used a drug laced with Fentanyl. Although they all used part of the same drug, only the portion Thomas used was fatal. With a Powerpoint presentation, Mayo illustrated the impossibility of identifying legitimate medication from counterfeit medication. He also illustrated the tiny amount of Fentanyl necessary to kill someone. He described how this potent medication is cheap to manufacture and is highly addictive. Only two uses are enough to get a person addicted to it, Mayo said.
Mayo also spoke about the prevalence of mental health and emotional distress, the signs of mental health issues, and the reversal medication Narcan that is life-saving in cases of overdose or exposure to dangerous counterfeit pills.
The informative sessions were designed to help students and parents learn more about the dangers of these drugs. Speakers said that in many cases, students and families are not familiar with the extreme risk associated with them. After their experiences, they felt they must share their stories with others.
