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As teen overdose deaths soar, most have no idea what they're putting in their body


As teen overdose deaths soar, most have no idea what they're putting in their body (WHP)
As teen overdose deaths soar, most have no idea what they're putting in their body (WHP)
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DAUPHIN COUNTY, Pa. (WHP) – Teen overdose deaths are soaring, and with students about to retire their books and enjoy summer break, many are sounding the alarm about the influx of deadly drugs kids could get their hands on.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Drug and Alcohol Jennifer Smith said an alarming new trend in her state – and around the U.S. – is what worries her the most.

“Particularly concerning for our young person population is the proliferation of fentanyl in counterfeit prescription pills," she said.

Smith said most kids have no idea what they are putting in their body.

“Kids don’t know that’s what’s in them, they think they are taking another upper or downer they are getting from a kid at school," Smith said.

Parents like Aleta Kammerer also fear for the safety of their own children: “It’s a very dangerous situation if you don’t know what you’re buying and putting in your bodies."

Aleta said she sounded the alarm after multiple vape pens containing fentanyl were confiscated from students in Pennsylvania's Mifflin School District.

“We have a significant amount that respond to data survey questions that don’t know what they are vaping," Aleta said.

Smith said deadly counterfeits are being packaged to look identical to what’s being sold over the counter: “The stamping looks the same, the shape, the placement of letters and numbers.“

She has a message for parents: knowing what to look for can be the difference between life and death.

“It’s more important than ever that parents find a way to have those difficult conversations with their children," Smith said.

Experts warn drugs can be hidden in plain sight through every day items used to conceal drugs.

They advise to parents to look for anything that’s out of place, like a soda they don’t normally drink, a book or movie that wouldn’t normally watch or read, or even a container of Febreze when they rarely clean their bedroom.

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