4th Judicial District Attorney hosts town hall about fentanyl epidemic at local middle school

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - More people are surviving fentanyl drug overdoses in Colorado Springs.

The 4th Judicial District Attorney, Micheal Allen, attributes the change to education and life-saving resources that have become more readily available. On Tuesday, he continued his mission of education and held a town hall for parents at Sabin Middle School in District 11.

One parent, Jennifer Golden, told KRDO13 that she has been actively watching her 15-year-old son recover from drug addiction. She said events like this one help other parents understand the dangers of drugs.

"It's just been a beautiful thing to... watch my son recover from this hopeless state of mind and body," said Golden

Golden said it's crucial to reach other parents, so they too can know how easily drugs get into the hands of children and teens.

"What the DA is doing is extremely important," said Golden.

Fentanyl is commonly used in hospitals because it's a powerful pain reliever. But, when it comes from the black market, it's often deadly, with many pills containing enough fentanyl for multiple deadly doses.

However, local leaders like Allen said the increased availability of the life-saving medication, Narcan, is saving lives in El Paso County.

"There are more people being saved from death overdoses just because fire department folks are carrying them and our folks have it out," said Allen.

Colorado Springs Police said in 2022, 51 people died from a fentanyl overdose. The following year that number went down to 34.

"There are police officers that are on the street, have it in their schools, have it on them for when they come across the kid, so more people are actually surviving overdose events than ever before," said Allen.

Of course, the goal of every parent is to steer their kids clear of any drug use, but Golden hopes that parents battling alongside their children will also learn how to save their lives.

"You just got to love them enough to do it. You know, it's scary to think about them doing drugs. It's even scarier to think about them dying from it," said Golden.

While fentanyl-related deaths may be down in Colorado Springs, the drug is still around.

Colorado Springs Police said they saw a 148% increase in fentanyl-related arrests in 2023 compared to the previous year.