ODESSA, Texas — Fentanyl is a deadly drug that is affecting everyone everywhere.
On Monday, Austin reported an "overdose outbreak" across the city resulting in 30 patients and four confirmed deaths. The CDC estimated that 77,000 cases out of 111,000 involved fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.
The Permian Basin Council of Alcohol and Drug Abuse (PBCADA) is an organization that specializes in education and prevention. They are seeing cases like these affect the youth and young adult population the most.
"Our young people are dying and they're dying at rates that we shouldn't be losing them," said Certified Prevention Specialist Program Director Sara Hinshaw.
With the use of fentanyl continuing to rise, Odessa recently implemented new legislation in hopes to bring those numbers down.
"The 2017 Ordinance for social hosting held any adult liable, responsible for underage things happening," Hinshaw said. "So now if parents hold parties where they're underage drinking occurring and they find fentanyl, they can also be charged with that social host ordinance citation."
Before drug abuse ever reaches your doorstep, the PBCADA meets young adults in the classroom.
House Bill 3908 requires that students in sixth grade through eighth grade must receive a general knowledge of fentanyl drug prevention because access to drugs can come from anywhere.
"It's nothing for a young person to get on their phone, send a few emojis out there in the world on the digital world and a drug dealer may deliver it right to their doorstep," Hinshaw said. "You know, it's really easy. It's an easy world for our youth to to come in contact with this stuff. And again, I mean, it goes back to prevention."
While there are many organizations that deal with prevention and education, nothing is better than a conversation at home.
"Whether it's the parent, whether it's that caregiver, it's that loved one at home because it goes back to if we're not talking to our kids, somebody is going to and it's going to be the wrong person," Hinshaw said. "Talking to your kid about this drug that it's going to make you feel happy or make you feel better and it's going to be the wrong thing."