Vienna High School lesson highlights fentanyl dangers

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

VIENNA, Ill., (KBSI) — Students in a health class at Vienna High School participated in a demonstration highlighting the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.

In a lesson led by teacher Megan Blaylock, students examined five grains of salt to illustrate how small a potentially lethal amount of fentanyl can be. The demonstration emphasized that even a minimal quantity can result in overdose or death.

The lesson also covered how opioid addiction can begin and the risks of fentanyl being mixed into other substances without a person’s knowledge. Students were introduced to Narcan, also known as naloxone, including how it works and when it should be used to reverse an overdose.

“Engaging students in the big picture of how and why drug addiction is damaging is so important, not just telling kids not to do drugs, but why,” Blaylock said.

Principal John Giffin said lessons like this provide students with a clearer understanding of real-world risks.

“Lessons like this give students a clear, real-world understanding of the risks they may face.

When students can see and grasp the seriousness of an issue in a tangible way, the message becomes much more meaningful,” Giffin said. “At Vienna, we have taken numerous steps to ensure that our students do not use and are not exposed to drugs. From random drug dog searches and drug screening to education surrounding the detrimental impacts that drug use has, we noticed a drastic reduction in drug-related issues.”