BY JENNIFER GUY
Acting Superintendent
Los Alamos Public Schools

On February 22, 2023, the Los Alamos Police Department issued a public warning that they arrested a person suspected of selling Fentanyl. 

As a school district and part of the Los Alamos community, we are very concerned about student safety. It is important that we all work together to educate students about serious life safety risks of Fentanyl. 

Fentanyl is a highly dangerous drug that comes in different forms including liquid and powder and can be lethal in very small amounts. Many people are unaware that other drugs including counterfeit pills can be laced with deadly amounts of fentanyl. 

The school is taking several steps to protect students including:

• training staff on recognizing potential drug use, how to respond to a student who may be under the influence, and what to do in the case of an emergency or overdose
• training some staff including school nurses, administrators, and School Resource Officers to administer Naloxone
• increasing student supervision at school
• presentations on the risks of fentanyl in LAHS Driver’s Education classes, updated information shared with LAMS and LAHS Health teachers 
• collaborating with community partners on further education for staff and family information sessions
• reaching out to other experts and schools for best practices to build protective factors and student resilience in order to prevent drug use and other risk behaviors

Parents and caregivers can help in important ways: 

• Talk to your children about the dangers of Fentanyl. Remind them to never ingest or inhale an unknown substance including a pill that may appear to come from a pharmacy. You can find some good resources here:
  • https://www.dea.gov/fentanylawareness
  • https://www.dea.gov/onepill
  • https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/DEA-OPCK_Parent%20flyer_V6.pdf
  • https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2022/09/rainbow-fentanyl
• You can learn more about New Mexico efforts to raise awareness about fentanyl here: https://www.bernco.gov/keepnmalive/
• Monitor your children’s social media accounts. Be aware of emojis and your child’s communications.
  • https://tea.texas.gov/sites/default/files/fentanyl-crisis-emoji-drug-code-red-with-one-pill-kills.pdf
• Report any concerns or suspicions about possible drug use right away. There are several ways you can report: .
  • Call 911 in an emergency.
  • Call  L.A. Crime-Stoppers at (505) 662-8282
  • Use the See Something Anonymous Reporting App. This app is anonymous, connects immediately to a trained responder, and provides information immediately to school officials and the local police department. The app is monitored 24 hours a day. 
  • Contact your school principal, counselor, or teacher
  • Contact your child’s doctor
• If someone you know or love is using drugs, there is help. Reach out to a school counselor or nurse to request resources.
• Here is a good video from CNN.
• TALK TO YOUR TEENS! 

Let’s all work together to keep our children safe!