Warning About Illicit Fentanyl Killing Children

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning parents about the dangers of fentanyl, a highly lethal synthetic opioid. A new study, conducted by Families Against Fentanyl, found that children under the age of 14 are dying of fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group. Fentanyl continues to be the number one killer of adults 18-45. With these alarming statistics, Attorney General Moody is urging Floridians to never use illicit drugs and is sharing the Fast Facts on Fentanyl Toolkit to help parents talk to their children about fentanyl.

Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “This is disturbing news, and as the mother of a school-aged child, I want to make sure every family is engaging in an open dialog about the dangers posed by massive amounts of illicit drugs flooding into our country. We have known for a while about the skyrocketing fentanyl deaths among young adults—and we suspected it was having a growing impact on small children, but this report confirms the urgent public-safety risks all parents are now facing when trying to protect their children from this deadly synthetic poison flooding into our country from Mexico.”

In addition to the recent Families Against Fentanyl study, there are news reports of at least two high school students having complications from using vapes that are possibly laced with fentanyl. With these alarming statistics and news reports, Attorney General Moody is urging Floridians to never use illicit substances and asking parents to talk to their children about illicit drug use.

The Fast Facts on Fentanyl Toolkit provides information for parents about protecting children from digital drug dealers. The resource highlights how drug dealers use social media to sell illicit substances and warns that those substances may contain deadly amounts of synthetic opioids. The toolkit also provides examples of emojis used as codes in online conversations regarding illicit drug transactions.

To view the Fast Facts on Fentanyl Toolkit, click here.

To view the toolkit in Spanish, click here.

Attorney General Moody developed the Dose of Reality Florida website for Floridians to learn how to find help and spot someone who may be abusing drugs. The site serves as a one-stop resource to obtain information about the dangers of opioid misuse, how to receive support for addiction and where to safely dispose of unused prescription drugs. To learn more about Dose of Reality Florida, click here.

In case of emergency, always dial 911 and contact local law enforcement.