Numerous teens engage in smoking marijuana. 1 in 7 teens smokes marijuana and the issues concerning this not only include how unhealthy marijuana can be for their lungs, but how marijuana can be laced with fentanyl. This leads to another issue as to how fentanyl can be dangerous. On a daily basis more and more students suffer apparent overdoses from fentanyl-laced marijuana which is why there should be more warnings, especially in a school environment to prevent students from further harming their bodies which can eventually lead to death. 

Many teens are not aware that they are consuming fentanyl-laced marijuana, as it can be disguised as other drugs. HealthUnit Haldimand Norfolk (n.d.) which provides up-to-date and accurate information on a variety of health topics, programs, services, and research mentions, “As little as a grain of fentanyl is enough to harm and cause you to overdose.” Therefore, individuals should stay as far away as possible from drugs due to the harm they cause to the immune and mental systems and the NUMEROUS long-term consequences they serve. “Fentanyl took my daughter’s life at the age of 20” is what Cathi Sharp Siegel, a mother of a 20-year-old USF student Carly Siegel who sadly passed away due to a Fentanyl overdose concluded. Carly’s mother proceeded to mention how a child does not have to be an addict in order to overdose, especially since anyone from any socioeconomic perspective could find ways to procure drugs. Carly’s mother also mentioned how a tiny dose is enough to kill a person and is easily available for purchase online or via social media. 

Fentanyl is considered a pure synthetic opioid that is prone to being 90-100 times STRONGER than morphine. To be more specific, opioids are a class of drugs. Let’s first discuss what fentanyl used to be more known for and how it became a “street drug”. Fentanyl can be prescribed and is considered ​​a Schedule II prescription drug that can help patients with severe pain or help the ongoing pain after surgery. However, fentanyl is known for its high risk of addiction and abuse, leading to the horrifying aftermath of overdose or even death. There are current studies showing that teenagers try fentanyl for “fun” and begin to get addicted which leads to numerous drug deaths in the U.S. When consuming fentanyl, it only takes a tiny amount to begin to feel euphoria or how some explain “intense” pleasure. 

As asserted in Safe Landing’s (2021) website, Safe Landing is a recovery center for drugs and alcohol in Miami, Florida: “Teens who abuse fentanyl and other opioids are also at increased risk of engaging in other types of dangerous behavior.” It is also proven by Safe Landing that it’s five times more possible for teens to attempt suicide, drive drunk, get into fights,  engage in risky sexual activity, or even carry guns and other weapons. All of this truly proves how dangerous fentanyl truly is and what circumstances teenagers MUST be aware of before getting in contact with this dangerous drug.