MCPS to Address Opioid/Fentanyl Crisis

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can’t even stop the vaping happening in front of their faces, how are they going to manage drug use?

Because vaping does not kill you.

Fentanyl in Vape Pens:
https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2020-09/Fentanyl%20Used%20in%20Vape%20Pens__PRB%20FINAL.pdf

As of February 18, 2020, a total of 2,807 hospitalized EVALI cases or deaths have been reported to CDC from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories (Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands).
Sixty-eight deaths have been confirmed in 29 states and the District of Columbia (as of February 18, 2020).

https://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/basic_information/e-cigarettes/severe-lung-disease.html

Not Maryland - but still there are fentanyl-laced vapes:

https://www.al.com/news/mobile/2022/09/alabama-girl-who-died-of-fentanyl-overdose-told-parents-vapes-laced-with-drug-were-in-her-school.html

[Anonymous]

I often chime in to some of these posts about kids and drugs. I am a parent of a child in recovery. They are just like all your kids -yes, it is your kid.

The county and the school system is not prepared for this epidemic that has started. When our child was in crisis we called the crisis center and met with them, she was then sent to the ER and then sent to the mental health unit and then released after a 15 minute meeting with a doctor after a weekend stay. The doctors are not there on weekends so it is techs watching the kids making sure they don't hurt themselves or use substances.

After being released and back at school the use continued. The school staff-teachers, security, and counselors are not trained to deal with this, it is all talk and they take minimal training. I have taken the Narcan training and it is a 30 minute course, it is great and i hope all of you take it and carry it.

Getting treatment is a joke, insurance is a hassle and congress won't act on it, mental health treatment is also a joke and you spend so much time seeking the proper treatment.

Then yo have to battle the passing of recreation use of substances and their mentality is, it is legal now so.... The thing is the black market is never going to go away, kids will always have dealers and this is a huge issue that I am sure the tax money hungry politicians didn't think about.

I really am sorry for that parent in the video as well as the Whitman parents form last year. We are fortunate that our child was able to receive treatment and is doing much better.

This nice PR message form the schools is just that. They are not equipped to handle things and this is just putting parents on notice that this problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

This is also true for private schools, In the unit at the hospital, it was a 50/50 split between public and private kids, all the same story. Get treatment, MCPS and Montgomery County, get your act together. You can' wash your hands of it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There isn't much MCPS can do to stop it. Let's be real. At some point parents also need to parent their kids and handle these things.

So many parents seem to feel differently and expect the county to raise their kids for them these days.

No. They want their kids to be protected from the havoc induced by others using drugs in schools. So easy to say "parent your own kids" but you can't parent other people's kids.

EXACTLY! Some of the people who are advocating for lax rules and policies around drug in school buildings on a PARENT forum are stunning me.

I don't think anyone is advocating for lax rules. However, the person reporting a suspected overdose should not have the same repercussions. Kids have to be able to safely report. Kids dying in high school bathrooms is not the answer.

Who said anything about kids having repercussions for reporting overdoses? Who in this thread advocated for that?

There is already a Good Samaritan Law on the books in Maryland that shields kids who report if their friends are ODing, even if they were partaking. That was covered in the press conference. So what are you talking about?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I often chime in to some of these posts about kids and drugs. I am a parent of a child in recovery. They are just like all your kids -yes, it is your kid.

The county and the school system is not prepared for this epidemic that has started. When our child was in crisis we called the crisis center and met with them, she was then sent to the ER and then sent to the mental health unit and then released after a 15 minute meeting with a doctor after a weekend stay. The doctors are not there on weekends so it is techs watching the kids making sure they don't hurt themselves or use substances.

After being released and back at school the use continued. The school staff-teachers, security, and counselors are not trained to deal with this, it is all talk and they take minimal training. I have taken the Narcan training and it is a 30 minute course, it is great and i hope all of you take it and carry it.

Getting treatment is a joke, insurance is a hassle and congress won't act on it, mental health treatment is also a joke and you spend so much time seeking the proper treatment.

Then yo have to battle the passing of recreation use of substances and their mentality is, it is legal now so.... The thing is the black market is never going to go away, kids will always have dealers and this is a huge issue that I am sure the tax money hungry politicians didn't think about.

I really am sorry for that parent in the video as well as the Whitman parents form last year. We are fortunate that our child was able to receive treatment and is doing much better.

This nice PR message form the schools is just that. They are not equipped to handle things and this is just putting parents on notice that this problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

This is also true for private schools, In the unit at the hospital, it was a 50/50 split between public and private kids, all the same story. Get treatment, MCPS and Montgomery County, get your act together. You can' wash your hands of it.

God bless you and your family. I'm so sorry our system, MCPS, MCPD and our health systems have completely failed you. This is beyond sad.

[Anonymous]

I don't understand the haters.

A public school system with limited enforcement capabilities just cannot deal with drugs. All they can do, and they do it very well, is INFORM, both parents and students.

I am satisfied with this response. Already I feel they've gone above and beyond. Public schools cannot strip search every single student daily. Pills are tiny and don't show up on metal detectors!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There isn't much MCPS can do to stop it. Let's be real. At some point parents also need to parent their kids and handle these things.

So many parents seem to feel differently and expect the county to raise their kids for them these days.

No. They want their kids to be protected from the havoc induced by others using drugs in schools. So easy to say "parent your own kids" but you can't parent other people's kids.

EXACTLY! Some of the people who are advocating for lax rules and policies around drug in school buildings on a PARENT forum are stunning me.

I don't think anyone is advocating for lax rules. However, the person reporting a suspected overdose should not have the same repercussions. Kids have to be able to safely report. Kids dying in high school bathrooms is not the answer.

Who said anything about kids having repercussions for reporting overdoses? Who in this thread advocated for that?

There is already a Good Samaritan Law on the books in Maryland that shields kids who report if their friends are ODing, even if they were partaking. That was covered in the press conference. So what are you talking about?

Page 2, post 11:39

And you don't need to be so rude

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There isn't much MCPS can do to stop it. Let's be real. At some point parents also need to parent their kids and handle these things.

So many parents seem to feel differently and expect the county to raise their kids for them these days.

No. They want their kids to be protected from the havoc induced by others using drugs in schools. So easy to say "parent your own kids" but you can't parent other people's kids.

EXACTLY! Some of the people who are advocating for lax rules and policies around drug in school buildings on a PARENT forum are stunning me.

I don't think anyone is advocating for lax rules. However, the person reporting a suspected overdose should not have the same repercussions. Kids have to be able to safely report. Kids dying in high school bathrooms is not the answer.

Who said anything about kids having repercussions for reporting overdoses? Who in this thread advocated for that?

There is already a Good Samaritan Law on the books in Maryland that shields kids who report if their friends are ODing, even if they were partaking. That was covered in the press conference. So what are you talking about?

Page 2, post 11:39

And you don't need to be so rude

Then quote tweet that post so it's clear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the haters.

A public school system with limited enforcement capabilities just cannot deal with drugs. All they can do, and they do it very well, is INFORM, both parents and students.

I am satisfied with this response. Already I feel they've gone above and beyond. Public schools cannot strip search every single student daily. Pills are tiny and don't show up on metal detectors!

Glad you're satisfied. The rest of us are not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often chime in to some of these posts about kids and drugs. I am a parent of a child in recovery. They are just like all your kids -yes, it is your kid.

The county and the school system is not prepared for this epidemic that has started. When our child was in crisis we called the crisis center and met with them, she was then sent to the ER and then sent to the mental health unit and then released after a 15 minute meeting with a doctor after a weekend stay. The doctors are not there on weekends so it is techs watching the kids making sure they don't hurt themselves or use substances.

After being released and back at school the use continued. The school staff-teachers, security, and counselors are not trained to deal with this, it is all talk and they take minimal training. I have taken the Narcan training and it is a 30 minute course, it is great and i hope all of you take it and carry it.

Getting treatment is a joke, insurance is a hassle and congress won't act on it, mental health treatment is also a joke and you spend so much time seeking the proper treatment.

Then yo have to battle the passing of recreation use of substances and their mentality is, it is legal now so.... The thing is the black market is never going to go away, kids will always have dealers and this is a huge issue that I am sure the tax money hungry politicians didn't think about.

I really am sorry for that parent in the video as well as the Whitman parents form last year. We are fortunate that our child was able to receive treatment and is doing much better.

This nice PR message form the schools is just that. They are not equipped to handle things and this is just putting parents on notice that this problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

This is also true for private schools, In the unit at the hospital, it was a 50/50 split between public and private kids, all the same story. Get treatment, MCPS and Montgomery County, get your act together. You can' wash your hands of it.

God bless you and your family. I'm so sorry our system, MCPS, MCPD and our health systems have completely failed you. This is beyond sad.

Our kid is alive today, they really failed those who have kids who weren't granted access to treatment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They can’t even stop the vaping happening in front of their faces, how are they going to manage drug use?

If you're talking about parents, you are SO RIGHT!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often chime in to some of these posts about kids and drugs. I am a parent of a child in recovery. They are just like all your kids -yes, it is your kid.

The county and the school system is not prepared for this epidemic that has started. When our child was in crisis we called the crisis center and met with them, she was then sent to the ER and then sent to the mental health unit and then released after a 15 minute meeting with a doctor after a weekend stay. The doctors are not there on weekends so it is techs watching the kids making sure they don't hurt themselves or use substances.

After being released and back at school the use continued. The school staff-teachers, security, and counselors are not trained to deal with this, it is all talk and they take minimal training. I have taken the Narcan training and it is a 30 minute course, it is great and i hope all of you take it and carry it.

Getting treatment is a joke, insurance is a hassle and congress won't act on it, mental health treatment is also a joke and you spend so much time seeking the proper treatment.

Then yo have to battle the passing of recreation use of substances and their mentality is, it is legal now so.... The thing is the black market is never going to go away, kids will always have dealers and this is a huge issue that I am sure the tax money hungry politicians didn't think about.

I really am sorry for that parent in the video as well as the Whitman parents form last year. We are fortunate that our child was able to receive treatment and is doing much better.

This nice PR message form the schools is just that. They are not equipped to handle things and this is just putting parents on notice that this problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

This is also true for private schools, In the unit at the hospital, it was a 50/50 split between public and private kids, all the same story. Get treatment, MCPS and Montgomery County, get your act together. You can' wash your hands of it.

God bless you and your family. I'm so sorry our system, MCPS, MCPD and our health systems have completely failed you. This is beyond sad.

MCPS is not a rehab facility. It provides public education. You are right these are big issues that fall outside of the school system.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the haters.

A public school system with limited enforcement capabilities just cannot deal with drugs. All they can do, and they do it very well, is INFORM, both parents and students.

I am satisfied with this response. Already I feel they've gone above and beyond. Public schools cannot strip search every single student daily. Pills are tiny and don't show up on metal detectors!

+1. The school is providing education and information to both students and parents. They are warning people of the dangers because sometimes(a lot of times) being informed repeatedly helps to engage the consciousness of a person(this is why we teach kids healthy habits). Also by informing parents and the community, parents will hopefully have more and meaningful conversation with the kids. The community will hopefully be in the lookout for things that could indicate drug use and or people selling to kids. MCPS is not going to be able to get drugs off the streets nor are they going to do a full on search of every kid every school day, nor are they going to monitor kids outside of school. What more does anyone expect them to do?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the haters.

A public school system with limited enforcement capabilities just cannot deal with drugs. All they can do, and they do it very well, is INFORM, both parents and students.

I am satisfied with this response. Already I feel they've gone above and beyond. Public schools cannot strip search every single student daily. Pills are tiny and don't show up on metal detectors!

+1. The school is providing education and information to both students and parents. They are warning people of the dangers because sometimes(a lot of times) being informed repeatedly helps to engage the consciousness of a person(this is why we teach kids healthy habits). Also by informing parents and the community, parents will hopefully have more and meaningful conversation with the kids. The community will hopefully be in the lookout for things that could indicate drug use and or people selling to kids. MCPS is not going to be able to get drugs off the streets nor are they going to do a full on search of every kid every school day, nor are they going to monitor kids outside of school. What more does anyone expect them to do?

What more could MCPS do?

1) Enhance and increase security staff monitoring of bathrooms where much of the drug use is taking place

2) Enhance the disciplinary policy so that it meaningfully deters kids from using substances on campus

3) Establish a dedicated task force or unit within MCPS under its student wellbeing department to deal with those who use drugs on campus so that they are intercepted early and before their substance abuse and the chaos associated with it spill over to the non-using student population

4) Develop more meaningful systems to early detect (adding smoke detectors in the bathroom for example, that are tuned for marijuana and other substance smoke)

5) Developing a tight relationship with MCPD to investigate and filter out suspected distributors on campus

I mean, these are just 5 things I thought of off the top of my head. It isn't hard to start thinking about could be done differently if you actually care about the safety and wellbeing of the kids.

But if you're more interested in defending the status quo at MCPS, or maybe feel that any criticism of MCPS is unfounded and unfair because you have some ridiculous loyalties to the system, then you'll lack for imagination.

There are literally people who get paid a full-time salary whose job titles include "student safety & wellbeing" and "security" and you're asking why people expect MCPS to do anything. Unreal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often chime in to some of these posts about kids and drugs. I am a parent of a child in recovery. They are just like all your kids -yes, it is your kid.

The county and the school system is not prepared for this epidemic that has started. When our child was in crisis we called the crisis center and met with them, she was then sent to the ER and then sent to the mental health unit and then released after a 15 minute meeting with a doctor after a weekend stay. The doctors are not there on weekends so it is techs watching the kids making sure they don't hurt themselves or use substances.

After being released and back at school the use continued. The school staff-teachers, security, and counselors are not trained to deal with this, it is all talk and they take minimal training. I have taken the Narcan training and it is a 30 minute course, it is great and i hope all of you take it and carry it.

Getting treatment is a joke, insurance is a hassle and congress won't act on it, mental health treatment is also a joke and you spend so much time seeking the proper treatment.

Then yo have to battle the passing of recreation use of substances and their mentality is, it is legal now so.... The thing is the black market is never going to go away, kids will always have dealers and this is a huge issue that I am sure the tax money hungry politicians didn't think about.

I really am sorry for that parent in the video as well as the Whitman parents form last year. We are fortunate that our child was able to receive treatment and is doing much better.

This nice PR message form the schools is just that. They are not equipped to handle things and this is just putting parents on notice that this problem is going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

This is also true for private schools, In the unit at the hospital, it was a 50/50 split between public and private kids, all the same story. Get treatment, MCPS and Montgomery County, get your act together. You can' wash your hands of it.

God bless you and your family. I'm so sorry our system, MCPS, MCPD and our health systems have completely failed you. This is beyond sad.

MCPS is not a rehab facility. It provides public education. You are right these are big issues that fall outside of the school system.

People now want mcps to parent their kids. The county has teen drug programs. Expecting a school with 2000 or more kids and at best a few hundred staff to catch and treat every issue is not reasonable Parents need to parent.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don't understand the haters.

A public school system with limited enforcement capabilities just cannot deal with drugs. All they can do, and they do it very well, is INFORM, both parents and students.

I am satisfied with this response. Already I feel they've gone above and beyond. Public schools cannot strip search every single student daily. Pills are tiny and don't show up on metal detectors!

+1. The school is providing education and information to both students and parents. They are warning people of the dangers because sometimes(a lot of times) being informed repeatedly helps to engage the consciousness of a person(this is why we teach kids healthy habits). Also by informing parents and the community, parents will hopefully have more and meaningful conversation with the kids. The community will hopefully be in the lookout for things that could indicate drug use and or people selling to kids. MCPS is not going to be able to get drugs off the streets nor are they going to do a full on search of every kid every school day, nor are they going to monitor kids outside of school. What more does anyone expect them to do?

What more could MCPS do?

1) Enhance and increase security staff monitoring of bathrooms where much of the drug use is taking place

2) Enhance the disciplinary policy so that it meaningfully deters kids from using substances on campus

3) Establish a dedicated task force or unit within MCPS under its student wellbeing department to deal with those who use drugs on campus so that they are intercepted early and before their substance abuse and the chaos associated with it spill over to the non-using student population

4) Develop more meaningful systems to early detect (adding smoke detectors in the bathroom for example, that are tuned for marijuana and other substance smoke)

5) Developing a tight relationship with MCPD to investigate and filter out suspected distributors on campus

I mean, these are just 5 things I thought of off the top of my head. It isn't hard to start thinking about could be done differently if you actually care about the safety and wellbeing of the kids.

But if you're more interested in defending the status quo at MCPS, or maybe feel that any criticism of MCPS is unfounded and unfair because you have some ridiculous loyalties to the system, then you'll lack for imagination.

There are literally people who get paid a full-time salary whose job titles include "student safety & wellbeing" and "security" and you're asking why people expect MCPS to do anything. Unreal.

If they did this people would complain. Where are parents in all this?