KUNA, Idaho — Governor Brad Little spoke with Kuna high school students about the dangers of the lethal narcotic fentanyl and how it made its way into nearly every community in the U.S.
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May 9 is National Fentanyl Awareness Day helping to spread knowledge on the drug and how dangerous it is, even in very small doses. In addition to Little, other speakers were a sergeant from the Ada County Sheriff's Office, and Tarina Taylor, a mother from Lewiston who lost her son to an overdose when he was just 26-years-old.
"My son did not want to die. He didn't, and neither do these kids. They're just taking something to feel better and it's killing them. It's just killing them with one pill," said Taylor.
Taylor's son Zachary, in his autopsy, was found to have had enough fentanyl in his system to kill six people. Due to the unknown nature of fentanyl, and how it ends up in nonprescription street pills, no one can gauge the dose of fentanyl they contain.
"Every time you take a pill of fentanyl, that contains fentanyl, you're literally playing Russian roulette," said Sgt. Brian Keen, Ada County Sheriff's office.
Last year Governor Little launched operation "Esto Perpetua" in response to the uptick in fentanyl being trafficked through Idaho. The goal of the operation is to improve law enforcement's ability to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and help educate more people on the opioid.
