Kyle City Council recognizes Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month

KYLE — Kyle City Council proclaimed October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month at its Oct. 17 meeting.

“I would like to start by addressing the importance and sensitivity of this proclamation,” said council member Miguel Zuniga. “This proclamation is to the families here and to the children that are still grieving and confused about [this happening] in our community and in our schools. And to let them know that we care [and] we feel your loss.”

The dedication went on to cite House Bill 3144, which went into effect on Sept. 1, declaring October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month.

“Illicit manufactured fentanyl is synthetic and potent up to 50 times stronger than heroin [and] 100 times stronger than morphine, [so] as little as a few milligrams can be lethal,” the proclamation read.

Due to the fatal nature of the drug, community members are urged to assume that pills on the streets are counterfeit. According to the CDC, fentanyl is associated with more deaths of citizens under 50 years old than any other cause of death, including heart disease and cancer.

“I saw a lot of families [at the Lehman High School Homecoming Parade] taking their photos with their kids and their children enjoying themselves. I just began to think about this family that I saw last week at the parade [holding a photo of their late child],” said council member Michael Tobias. “These individuals should be doing the same thing. They should be enjoying this time with their children, taking photographs of homecoming, getting ready for prom [and] getting ready for graduation. Ladies and gentlemen, we have a serious drug problem in this community and this country.”

Since the summer of 2022, Hays CISD has lost six students to the drug and it is currently investigating another death as fentanyl poisoning.

Among the many families who were present at the meeting to represent their lost loved ones were Janel Rodriguez and Brandon Dunn, who lost their 15-year-old son Noah in 2022.

“Like Noah [had], these families are good families,” said Rodriguez. “Noah grew up in a good home, a stable home [with] mom and dad, a Christian home. We had talks. We were strict parents. And you just don’t expect this kind of thing. The stigma needs to end because it’s not only the addicts [or] the junkies.”

After the sudden death of her son, Rodriguez began the Forever15Project in hopes to make Noah’s death more than a tragedy. Forever15Project is a nonprofit that spreads awareness of fentanyl and provides resources for those at risk. Since the start of its nonprofit, the family has worked with community members to help send children in need to rehabilitation or mental health facilities, along with encouraging children to get involved in the nonprofit because “peers listen to peers.” Rodriguez often spends her time in classes doing presentations on fentanyl and advocating for further understanding of the drug in hopes to save the lives of children like Noah — 15, curious and innocent.

“This is a community issue; these are our kids,” said Rodriguez. “This doesn’t just affect us families. I did a presentation at Barton Middle School the other day, to sixth graders, and a young man came up to me crying afterwards and said that his best friend was taken away from him because his family was the mom and dad in Plum Creek who got caught with fentanyl in their house. So, it affects everyone.”

Rodriguez encourages the community to volunteer and get involved in the Forever15Project. For more information, visit www.forever15project.org.

“If you are a parent, do not avoid the topic. Initiate dialogue [and] understand your child’s knowledge of this issue and awareness. If you’re an educator, start a dialogue about the elevated risk of illicit drugs,” the proclamation read. “Don’t stigmatize drug addiction and let people know where to find help.”

Kyle City Council will meet again on Tuesday, Nov. 7.