BOERNE, Texas — Boerne ISD warned parents about the dangers of counterfeit and illegal drugs, including fentanyl, in the community at a discussion event Wednesday.
The “One Pill Can Kill” discussion comes after four students died recently in Hays CISD in Central Texas from fentanyl overdoses.
“We’re seeing a large increase in population here in Boerne and Kendall County, so as we grow some of these dangers might be more imposing on us," said Bryan Benway, Boerne ISD communications director.
The panel featured experts in the field, including Boerne ISD Chief of Safety and Security Rick Goodrich, a retired Supervisory Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency, as well as Kendall County Criminal District Attorney Nicole Bishop, City of Boerne Police Chief Steve Perez, and more.
"I want to remind everyone of the looming threat of synthetic drugs," said Tracy Mendez, deputy special agent with the DEA, in a virtual message to the district.
Boerne police said the urgency of issue prompted them to make a major change with the police officers.
"This is gaining in popularity. We have had to now add Narcan to our arsenal," City of Boerne Police Chief Steve Perez said. "So all of our officers now carry Narcan."
Boerne ISD nurses and school resource officers are also equipped with Narcan. a substance used to treat narcotic overdose in an emergency situation.
One of the major messages stressed during the panel discussion dealt with alerting parents about fentanyl being promote to young people online.
“Parents need to watch their students’ not only social media and online presence but gaming. We’re talking about Xbox, Fortnite, those types of things because fentanyl and those types of drugs are offered to students online," Benway said.
The Kendall County Coroner's Office told KENS 5 11 people have died from drug overdoses in 2022. The 11th death was confirmed on Thursday. None of the deceased individuals were teenagers.
Officials at the event said the drugs were being produced in China and imported to Mexico, where they are then smuggled across the border by drug cartels in pill form.