There’s growing concern that Fentanyl is becoming more accessible to kids
Health officials say fentanyl isn’t just killing people in the substance abuse community, it’s also killing children who aren’t even aware they're taking it.
Two babies in the same California town overdosed on fentanyl in the same week, according to local reports.
On Jan. 21, Bakersfield police responded to a home on Lake Street and found an unresponsive 9-month-old baby, who officers transported to a nearby hospital. The baby remains in stable condition, KGET reported.
Lake St. and Beale Ave, Bakersfield, Calif. (Google Maps)
The baby was reportedly exposed to drug paraphernalia at the residence.
Authorities arrested Gabriela Cruz, 23, for felony child cruelty, possession of a controlled substance for sales and possession of narcotics paraphernalia after they searched her house, according to the outlet.
13-YEAR-OLD BOY DIES FROM SUSPECTED FENTANYL OVERDOSE DEATH WHILE AT SCHOOL, RAISING ALARM
"You guys are going to be asking me about … what is goin[g] on, which I’m really not gonna answer it," Cruz told WGET in an interview. "It’s rude, like, really nothing to answer about it."
On Jan. 15, police responded to a residence on Kroll Way and found an unresponsive 1-year-old boy, who was transported to a hospital and in stable condition, KGET reported.
Kroll Way and Gosford, Bakersfield, Calif. (Google Maps)
The boy's parents, 20-year-old John Lawson and 20-year-old Gabriella Goldberg, were arrested on drug-related charges, the Bakersfield Police Department (BPD) told the outlet.
DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS, FUELED BY FENTANYL, HIT RECORD HIGH IN U.S.
The 1-year-old was similarly exposed to drug paraphernalia at their homes, according to police.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is deadly in very small amounts. Counterfeit pills and other substances can be laced with the drug.
A man living on the streets displays what he says is the synthetic drug fentanyl. (Reuters/Shannon Stapleton)
Children can become severely ill or even die if they are exposed to fentanyl patches, which are used to treat pain, according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The FDA recommends adults lock fentanyl patches and other drugs in child-proof containers.
The FDA also recommends adults call 911 if a child has been exposed to fentanyl and to use naloxone, or Narcan, if it is available.
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There were more than 200 fentanyl overdoses in Kern County, where Bakersfield is located, in 2020, Assistant District Attorney Joseph Kinzel told KGET.
