Is Rainbow Fentanyl Ruining Halloween?

Is Rainbow Fentanyl Ruining Halloween?

Annelise Sin (9th), Is Rainbow Fentanyl Ruining Halloween?

 

Rainbow Fentanyl is a brightly-colored painkiller that’s disguised as candy to target young teenagers in America. Fentanyl is one of the strongest painkillers, and is highly addictive. Producers of Fentanyl have started dyeing the pills to make them appear more attractive to the youth. 

 

How it affects people

Taking Fentanyl can severely damage your body and your brain. Like any other opioid, it can damage your brain growth and affect your mind negatively. Taking Fentanyl can give you a euphoric feeling that can make you extremely happy. The reason Fentanyl is so popular is because it’s highly accessible and very addictive. Opioid addiction is high in young adults because they’re easily accessible after someone is injured or undergoes a surgery. 

 

Fentanyl can make you very drowsy and tired. You can become confused and have problems breathing while taking fentanyl. Overdosing on fentanyl can cause a condition called Hypoxia. Hypoxia slows and/or stops the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain. This can lead to comas, permanent brain damage, and even death. 

 

Warning signs of OD

One of the ways to stay safe around Rainbow Fentanyl is to always be aware of the warning signs of an overdose. If too much of Fentanyl is digested, there’s a very likely chance you can be seriously harmed and/or die. Warning signs to look out for: constricted pupils, unresponsive or limp, breathing is slow/erratic or they are not breathing, slow/erratic or no pulse, the skin is pale or blue, making gurgling sounds, or they are vomiting. 

 

People get, and stay, addicted to fentanyl because there can be severe withdrawals just hours after someone stops taking it. These withdrawals include muscle and bone pain, sleep problems, diarrhea and vomiting, uncontrollable leg movements, and cold flashes. People stay addicted to fentanyl because they become dependent on this drug after a surgery or severe injury. 

 

There are medicines that are being created to help with the withdrawal process of fentanyl. The FDA has approved lofexidine, which is a non-opioid medicine designed to help with the opioid withdrawal process.   

 

Because of Rainbow Fentanyl, there are many dangers surrounding Halloween. We all know that people can try to lure young children with pills that can appear as candy. Introducing children to drugs like fentanyl at young ages can cause many future problems in their lives. Parents can be worried about letting their children do traditional things on Halloween, like ‘trick-or-treat’. 

 

How to protect yourself/others from it

Some ways to try to prevent the ones you love from horrible things, like drug addiction, are: 

  1. Talk to your children. It’s better for kids to know while their minds are still developing just how dangerous drug addiction really is. 2. Try to get help. If you, or someone you know, is already struggling with addiction, seek help as quickly as possible. There are always resources, and there are always other options. 3. If you or someone you know is in a dangerous situation, leave immediately. One of the highest factors to addiction in teens is peer pressure. If you are stuck in a situation that you feel unsafe or don’t know how to get out of, call 911 or a trusted adult. 

 

Interview Questions:

 

“Do you know what Rainbow Fentanyl is?” 

“What is your opinion on / how do you feel about Rainbow Fentanyl?”

“Do you think Rainbow Fentanyl could ruin Halloween because it scares families?”

I interviewed Giselle Orozco 9, Claudia Martin-Park 9, and Jillian Baylard 9 on the topics of Rainbow Fentanyl. Here’s what they said. 

 

Giselle Orozco: “Yes, I do know what Rainbow Fentanyl is. I think it’s stupid that people are trying to make kids more intrigued by it, but if they eat it they’re gonna die. Yes, I think 1000% it can ruin Halloween because people can fake candies and give them to kids who will die.”

 

Claudia Martin-Park: “Yes, it’s like a bad drug. It’s not a good thing and I don’t like it. Yes, I feel like it can scare families and I think it’s really concerning if people aren’t worried about it.”

 

Jillian Baylard: “Yes, I know what it is. I don’t think people should do it because it’s bad for you. Yeah I think it could ruin Halloween because people can lace everything with it.”