Leaders gather in Colorado Springs for fentanyl roundtable discussion
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Wednesday lawmakers, law enforcement, and medical professionals from Southern Colorado gathered together to discuss the ongoing fentanyl crisis impacting the Pikes Peak Region and what can be done to prevent more deaths.
The roundtable, hosted by Congressman Doug Lamborn and El Paso County Undersheriff Joe Roybal, also included El Paso County District Attorney Michael Allen, El Paso County Coroner Dr. Leon Kelly, and multiple leaders from local law enforcement agencies like Colorado Springs, Fountain, and Manitou Springs.
While fentanyl legislation was the main topic this year at the State Capitol, not everyone has time to wait for bills to be passed as the drug currently circulates at an unprecedented rate.
That's why those in attendance say education and awareness is their best tool to fight overdoses.
"There is so much danger out there for young people or anyone for that matter, to take drugs that they think is one thing, and it's actually laced with fentanyl," said Rep. Lamborn. "It's much more powerful and it injures or kills that person. So there is an awareness that we need to be promoting.”
Dr. Kelly says 32 fentanyl deaths have already been logged this year in El Paso County, and the death toll was over 100 for 2021.
A new problem is also emerging, more fentanyl deaths are popping up in rural areas.
"One of the unique things about the El Paso County Coroner's Office is we have a perspective of not just Colorado Springs, but really of 1/3 of Colorado, from one of our biggest metro areas all the way down to our or our rural areas," said Dr. Kelly. "At this point last year in 2021, we saw only one fentanyl death in our 20 plus other surrounding counties. This year, we're already at six. We're six times higher with our fentanyl deaths year to date. It's coming to all communities. Unfortunately, some of our rural areas, as we've seen with some of these other problems, don't have the resources that maybe Colorado Springs and Denver and some of these other places have so we have to get out there and saturate the community in the surrounding areas with education on this."
Wednesday's roundtable discussion also hammered home the idea that people should assume every single illicit drug, from cocaine to meth, is laced with fentanyl.
"It's like owning a gun -- we treat every gun as if it's loaded," said El Paso County Undersheriff Joe Roybal. "Parents, please tell your children if they come across a drug or considering taking a narcotic, consider it like a loaded gun. Except it's loaded with fentanyl."
"It's the most powerful drug that we've ever seen," said Dr. Kelly. "We know it's impacting younger people, people who are new to their substance use, and sometimes even people who don't even know that's what they’re using. This drug is different. And it's different because it's more easily trafficked, it's more easily disguised as other things, and it's so incredibly potent. All of those are working together to make this really a perfect storm."
Officials say another big way to protect loved ones is to have frank conversations and make sure they’re aware of the danger, as fentanyl is currently being offered inside schools and at parties.
"To me, the number one thing that should happen every single night starting tonight, is for parents and coaches and teachers and anybody who's in a kid's life to have that conversation and not just say, 'Hey, kid, don't use drugs,'" said Dr. Kelly. "We've all heard that story, right? It's: 'Here's what's happening. What would you do if somebody handed you a pill? What would you do if you saw a friend and somebody gave them a pill? How would you respond?' Walk them through how they would behave, what they would do to solve the issue, to protect themselves before they're ever even faced with that. Because I guarantee you, there are kids in this community today who are going to face that dilemma, who are going to be in that situation, and this isn't a drug that you're going to get a second chance with."
Police at the roundtable said fentanyl is even being put into candy-like gummy bears, skittles, and smarties. They say this shows how sophisticated drug manufacturers are getting when it comes to smuggling drugs into the country.
For more information on fentanyl and a list of resources for help, click here.
