KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Clay County Sheriff’s Office Drug Squad has switched their number one priority from meth to fentanyl.
That switch happened as the Kansas City area continues to see an increase of fentanyl overdoses.
In the Northland, community members are paying attention to the crisis. Nearly 100 people came to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office Drug Education Summit to learn about addiction prevention and treatment.
“I’m just really glad I came tonight,” said Penny Thomas, a Northland parent.
Many parents, students and law enforcement members said the summit struck a cord with them.
“I’m going to hug them and tell them I love them, but you can never tell them enough,” Thomas said.
Personal stories were shared from parents. Becca Everitt spoke to the crowd about her experience losing a son to a fatal fentanyl overdose.
“He thought just like everybody else, 'I could tell what a fake pill looks like,' and he couldn’t, and it cost him his life," Everitt said.
Moments of vulnerability were shown to the crowd to explain that fentanyl laced drugs are here.
“I’ve never seen anything like it in my 24 years ever,” Detective Michael Nelson said.
Nelson’s message to parents is that fentanyl overdoses aren’t happening to bad people — but to anyone — and they’re turning out to be deadly.
“I hate to say it, but it’s almost triage that the way we are dealing with it right now,” Nelson said. “It is paramount at this point.”
The next drug summit is at Oak Park High School on Wednesday at 6 p.m.
