Over 300 seniors gathered in the gym on Thursday, Oct. 12, not for a pep rally as usual but for a presentation on a much graver topic: fentanyl.
At first, the gym buzzed with typical high school chatter, mixed with a little uncertainty about what to expect. It wasn’t long before that chatter fell to a silence as speaker Kelly Perkins’s story became deeply personal. The beaming face of a teenager in a Northgate football jersey projected on the screen, and Perkins, who is a teacher at Ygnacio Valley High School, started telling students about him. Carson was a Northgate graduate, a student-athlete, a kind friend and son; Perkins shared that he had suffered from severe anxiety and panic attacks, so he often took medication to ease that.
Carson was just 21 when he was killed by a fentanyl-laced product.
“It can happen to anyone,” Perkins said to a silent gym of hundreds of students, “your friends, your family.” This was a chilling statement, as she also spoke of five Northgate alumni and others within the local district who have also been victims of a fentanyl overdose.
Fentanyl is an opioid drug, which in recent years has been getting more media attention. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, over 106,000 persons in the U.S. died from drug-involved overdose in 2021—a shocking 70,601 of those caused by synthetic opioid overdose, primarily fentanyl.
In her presentation, Perkins explained that fentanyl can be found in nearly anything: street drugs, drinks, and other medications, to name a few. Even the smallest dose can prove to be lethal.
Perkins also emphasized the common symptoms of fentanyl to the audience, sharing that “Unconsciousness or unresponsiveness, slowed or stopped breathing, dilated pupils, and bluish lips or fingernails are among the most common symptoms of an opioid overdose,” she said.
The presentation was one of several held for students on different days. Lucas McCann, a senior who attended the Oct. 12 presentation, said afterward it was powerful. “I personally knew about fentanyl and the effects of it, but I know that many of my friends had no idea what it even was…it was the quietest I have ever seen at any informative assembly,” McCann said.
Principal Kelly Cooper expressed how vital it was for the school and the community to receive education on fentanyl poisoning. “Having information, and better yet, a life-saving tool in the event of an emergency, even if it saves just one life, will absolutely be worth the time and energy to put on these assemblies. We are the first of the high schools to run these for all of our students, and I see no downside,” Cooper shared.
In addition to highlighting the danger of fentanyl, Perkins revealed that there is a counter to an opioid overdose: Narcan, or naloxone. This medication has various forms, like an injection or nasal spray. She also shared that Narcan is distributed for free through the government, so that anyone and everyone can have this on hand for emergencies.
Many left in a sober mood but with a greater understanding of this modern-day danger, along with the knowledge to remain proactive and an accessible solution to countering its effects. Senior Olivia Kaciak was one among them.
“The assembly really resonated with me… it made me more aware of how dangerous and urgent this matter is, and I learned about Narcan, which I didn’t know about prior to the assembly,” Kaciak commented.
Senior Ashlee Azcueta was touched by the informational assembly. “You could truly tell that the presenter touched the hearts of many. It also brings awareness to the dangers of fentanyl within our community at Northgate,” she shared.
All other grades have attended these presentations as well. Perkins hopes that these presentations will connect with someone. “If these presentations can save even one life, it will have been worth it.”
People can access more information and resources regarding fentanyl, as well as support Perkins and the non-profit she founded to spread awareness, Carson’s Wings of Hope, at carsonswingsofhope.com.
