Students and families gathered to learn about the Fentanyl crisis affecting today’s youth during a Fentanyl Crisis Awareness workshop on Nov.16 at Firebaugh High School, hosted by Assemblymember Anthony Rendon.
Guests had a unique opportunity to educate themselves on the dangers of Fentanyl and the resources available to them through the District and community, as well as hear from the families of victims.
“There’s a lot of concern about Fentanyl, and there should be,” Rendon said. “What we do know now is how important trust is within families. Families that can have conversations, where children can ask questions, and where parents can provide informed responses are the families where this crisis is less likely to happen.”
The remainder of the event was an open panel held by several guest speakers, which included Dr. Jorge Partida, Director of Psychology for the LA County Department of Health, Evelyn Aleman, founder of Our Voice, Maribel Martinez, LUSD Director of Student Services, and Jaime Puerta, member of Stop the Void. The panel allowed participants and hosts to engage with one another, ask questions, and start discussions on raising awareness of the Fentanyl crisis.
“It is extremely important that we continue pushing information out to the community about the dangers of Fentanyl,” Superintendent Dr. Gudiel Crosthwaite said. “I’m honored that we have been given the opportunity to be a part of this movement and educate our students and families during this workshop, so that another tragedy involving this drug may be prevented.”
Event partners included 211 Los Angeles County, Our Voice, Southern California Crossroads and Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health.
Students and families interested in learning more about the Fentanyl crisis or in search of resources can visit www.cdc.gov.
Dec. 12, 2022