School district to host Fentanyl Awareness Town Hall

San Bernardino News Daily November 2, 2022

The San Bernardino City Unified School District has announced a virtual Fentanyl Awareness Town Hall for Monday, November 7 at 6:00 p.m. to “provide information and resources on the opioid crisis afflicting communities.”

The event will feature speakers Steve Filson from the national nonprofit Victims of Illicit Drugs (VOID), and Sergeant David Salyer with the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office.

Among the topics to be discussed:

How to prevent an opioid/fentanyl overdose
Efforts the SBCUSD is making to respond to opioid/fentanyl overdoses
How to talk with children and teens
Where to get help for substance abuse and mental health challenges

“The Fentanyl/Opioid crisis is one of the most critical safety issues impacting our communities,” said SBCUSD Safety and Emergency Manager Eric Vetere, who is among the town hall speakers. “The San Bernardino City Unified School District is committed to combating the fentanyl crisis with our law enforcement, educational, and public health partners through education, awareness, prevention, and response.

Typically, fentanyl is used to treat severe pain; however, illegally manufactured fentanyl is mixed with other illicit drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and fake prescription pills, sometimes with or without a user’s knowledge, to increase the euphoric effects and has been linked to overdoses and deaths, including among teens.