Letter: Be aware of the 'pill that can kill'

Thank you for continuing to educate the public on the dangers of fentanyl and uptick in overdoses in all areas of society, and reporting that health officials are focusing on harm reduction, making fentanyl test strips available and using Norcan to save lives. However, a part that seems to be missing from these conversations is that "one pill can kill."

Social media campaigns with this message explain it's not just cocaine and heroin addicts dying from overdoses, but young adults and teen students who are not necessarily addicts, and are tragically dying across the country in every major city because they are literally poisoned by one pill. They think they are getting one dose of something to relax themselves, and these decisions are fatal unless time is on your side and there is someone with you witnessing the poisoning to call 911 or have Norcan on you if you are fortunate enough.

A nonprofit organization, Song for Charlie, is dedicated to raising awareness about fentapills - fake pills made of fentanyl - and deaths from these fake pills are surging across the country. According to them, teens are purchasing what they think are OxyContin, Xanax or Percocet via Snapchat and other social media platforms, and they are laced with this deadly synthetic. Thank you for continuing to bring awareness to the community.

Laura Damerjian

Schaumburg