During the summer of 2022, the communities in Hays County began to see an increase in overdoses, poisonings, and deaths related to fentanyl. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is often the ingredient used in counterfeit pills purchased on the street – sold as something else like Xanax, Percocet, or oxycodone. Quite often, in cases involving fentanyl, people who take the drug have no idea they are taking it. In the drug trade, fentanyl is a cheap alternative to other synthetic opioids and it takes so very little to kill.  

Our neighbors in Hays CISD have produced a video following the death of one of their students. We encourage our families to watch the following video with their children to become educated on the danger of fentanyl: https://youtu.be/HgeuchQiyR8

• To help fight the fentanyl problem, San Marcos CISD is:

  • Partnering with local law enforcement, emergency management, and health authorities to monitor and collaborate on the best way to combat the crisis. 
  • The district is working to supply Narcan at all secondary campuses. Narcan, administered quickly enough, can help reverse the effects of a fentanyl overdose.
  • District nursing staff, counselors, safety and security team, curriculum and instruction leaders, and our principals and campus leaders will be working on in-school educational opportunities, which may include assemblies, homeroom discussions, posters, or other ways to inform students about fentanyl dangers.  

• To help fight the fentanyl problem, you can:

  • Talk to your children. Tell them that ANY pill they get from a friend or purchased online or off of the street could be a counterfeit pill containing fentanyl. Only take medication that was prescribed by a doctor, purchased at a pharmacy, and approved by parents or guardians.   
  • Learn about the fentanyl crisis and help spread the word that this is a dangerous situation. Visit the Centers for Disease Control website’s Fentanyl Facts page as a starting-point: https://www.cdc.gov/stopoverdose/fentanyl/index.html)  
  • Ensure that your child delivers all medications, including over-the-counter medications, to the school nurse for distribution. Students should not carry any medications with them at school, nor share them for any reason.   
  • Reach out to your school nurse or counselor with any specific concerns, or if you need additional resources that are unique to your family.