Wednesday, April 19, 2023
By: Aimee Plante
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – An Oregon senator is calling on the U.S. Department of Education to help youth across the state avoid a fentanyl overdose.
Sen. Jeff Merkley says he’s sending a letter to the department to find out how it can provide lifesaving resources to parents, teachers and students.
He cites several teen deaths in the Portland metro area in the past year.
“You may think you’re buying Adderall or something else, any of it can be laced with fentanyl,” he said. “We’ve had so many tragic deaths of our young folks in Oregon. It’s true across the country. We’ve got to really nail this message to our youngsters: No pill you buy on the street is safe.”
Senate Bill 238 is winding its way through the Oregon legislature. It would task the Oregon Health Authority and the state Board of Education with creating a curriculum about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs.
English 
Spanish