Schools urged to tackle crisis
State suggests steps to help educate students on dangers of synthetics
Gov. Andrew Cuomo and three state agencies are urging school districts to take action against the increased use of opioids and synthetic cannabinoids.
In a letter sent this week, the state Education Department, Department of Health and Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services implored districts to educate schools about the dangers of opioids and synthetic cannabinoids as recent statistics show use and hospitalizations related to both continue to rise. That would include incorporating lessons and other resources into the curriculum.
“The role that teachers and school staff play in a student’s life cannot be underestimated and by equipping them with information on these deadly drugs we are putting them in a position to potentially save a life,” said state Educa-
tion Commissioner Maryellen Elia. “If we are able to educate our youth today on the dangers of opioids and synthetic drugs, we are giving them the tools to make good decisions down the road.”
The letter urges school districts to become trained in administering naloxone — a drug that can reverse an opioid overdose — and to keep a supply on hand.
It also urged them to use the New York State Addiction and Substance Use Disorder educational resource, which is available on a flash drive or online at no cost. It contains health education standards, guidance and an instructional resource packet on heroin, other opioids and synthetics.
While most are familiar with the effects opioids have had on communities around the nation, less is known about the rise of synthetic cannabinoids.
Also known as synthetic marijuana, Spice, K2, Green Giant and other names, synthetic cannabinoids are man-made chemicals that act on the same receptors of the brain as tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, an active ingredient in marijuana. However, the hundreds of known synthetic cannabinoid chemicals are different from THC, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control, and may affect the brain in different and unpredictable ways compared to marijuana.
Whether sprayed onto plant material and smoked, mixed into liquid and vaped, or added to food or drink, synthetic cannabinoids can cause intense hallucinations, psychotic episodes, kidney failure, respiratory illness and death, state officials said in the letter. Users may have suicidal thoughts and can maim, seriously injure or kill themselves or others while under the influence.
“Besides the ever-changing, catchy names, these illegal substances are sold in colorful graphic packaging meant to appeal to young people,” the letter said.
In New York last year, 6,222 emergency room visits were attributed to synthetic cannabinoids. It’s unclear how many of those were among young people, but more than 6 percent of high schoolers last year reported having used the drugs, the letter noted.
Federal and state governments have had a hard time outlawing them, originally banning specific chemicals in the products but recently moving to ban general categories of ingredients instead.
Makers of the drugs have gotten around these laws, however, by creating new products with different ingredients or by labeling them “not for human consumption,” according to the CDC. They remain widely available at convenience stores, from drug dealers or online, where they are sometimes marketed as incense or natural herbal products.
“As we fight to combat the opioid epidemic, it is critical that we educate New York’s students on the very real dangers of fentanyl and synthetic cannabinoids,” Cuomo said. “We will continue to bolster our efforts to keep this poison out of the hands of our children, and I encourage schools to join us in this fight by using the free resources available to them to keep students healthy and safe.”
State officials also noted growing concern about opioid use, which reached epidemic levels years ago but is presenting new challenges as highly potent, illicitly manufactured fentanyl is increasingly showing up in supplies of heroin, cocaine and other drugs.