Dunn proposes providing educational toolkits about the dangers of fentanyl
Summary
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn on Monday introduced legislation that would provide educational toolkits to local organizations and school districts to help spread public awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.
Story
King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn on Monday introduced legislation that would provide educational toolkits to local organizations and school districts to help spread public awareness about the dangers of fentanyl. The proposal comes as fentanyl overdoses continue to wreak havoc in King County and across the country. King County is on track for a record number of both fatal and non-fatal overdoses in 2023, with a majority of them due to fentanyl.
“With fentanyl destroying our communities, we need to expand our efforts to educate each and every person in King County about the dangers that this drug poses,” Dunn said. “Deaths caused by fentanyl have skyrocketed in recent years, and that trend is not reversing. We need to partner with everyone who is willing to help spread our message so that every parent and every child knows that even just one pill can take your life.”
Since 2019, fatal fentanyl overdoses have increased by over 550% according to King County Medical Examiner’s Office data.
*Source: Overdose Data Dashboards – King County, Washington
In recent months, the dangers of fentanyl have been highlighted as two students in the Bellevue School District accidentally overdosed on fentanyl when they used a vape pen. As more and more cases of accidental overdoses occur in King County, school districts and organizations have been working to educate the populations they work with about the dangers of fentanyl. The Seattle Times recently highlighted this effort in an article titled “WA schools try to catch up on warning students about fentanyl”.
If approved, the legislation would direct King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) to provide fentanyl awareness toolkits to community organizations including school districts, foodbanks, community centers, and social service organizations. School district would receive 45- to 60-minute age-appropriate lesson plans for school grades at risk of exposure to fentanyl. The toolkits would consist of fentanyl overdose prevention materials already developed by King County and other organizations, such as ”Laced and Lethal,” which Dunn has worked to provide $250,000 in funding for at the Council, and "Talk Even If." They would also include a list of opioid treatment facilities, information on ways residents of King County can access naloxone and fentanyl testing strips, draft lesson plans to be used in school districts, and ways to access virtual and in-person trainings.
This legislation will be referred to the Law, Justice, Health, and Human Services Committee and will be heard in the coming weeks.