City Hosts Online Opioid Forum in Wake of Drug Discovery at High School

By Adam Swift

The city and school department held an online forum on fentanyl and opioid use Monday night, spurred in part by the discovery of a small baggie of powdered drugs at Revere High School earlier this month.

Initial test results showed the powder to contain MDMA and ketamine, and the Revere Police Department is awaiting state lab test results to determine if there was fentanyl in the mix of drugs.

During the forum, several local and state experts discussed the statistics for fentanyl and opioid use by young people, and discussed ways to talk about drugs with young people and help prevent overdose deaths.

“I did speak with the (police) chief again today, and he said the tests are still not back from the state lab,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly. “He said it could take several months, as the state lab is backed up with testing demands. As students and parents know, we did work with local law enforcement to have the drug dogs and the firearm dogs do a sweep of the school, just to see where we are, and that happened last Thursday.”

While no drugs were discovered, Kelly said there were a few areas of concern where the dogs caught the scent of marijuana in a locker or backpack. She said those concerns would be addressed with the individual students and their families.

Revere High Principal Chris Bowen said the incident does provide an opportunity for the schools and community to collaborate to help make the high school a better place.

“This was a disturbing and unsettling discovery for all of us involved, and I hope that we can use that to launch some great collaboration between the high school administration, family, students, families, and the broader Revere community,” said Bowen.

Opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts have risen from an average of about 500 to 600 annually a decade ago, to over 2,000 per year in recent years, according to Dr. Alexander Walley, an internist and addiction specialist at Boston Medical Center.

“What drove that surge was fentanyl being introduced into the heroin supply, primarily,” said Walley.

While the majority of opioid-related deaths are among people over the age of 25, Walley noted that those under the age of 25 account for 1 percent of all deaths in the state, but 5 percent of opioid overdoses.

“Young people are overrepresented, which is an important reason for us to think about overdose prevention in young people,” Walley said.

While overall drug use has remained fairly consistent for people aged 14-18 over the past decade, Walley said the number of fentanyl overdose deaths has surged.

“It really points to concerns of the toxic drug supply,” he said.

While fentanyl is most prevalent in heroin, there has also been a surge in deadly counterfeit pills cut with fentanyl and other substances that have helped fuel overdose deaths.

Dr. Sarah Bagley said when she talks to youth about drug use, she typically asks them why they turn to drugs. While peer pressure remains a top concern, she said that more recently, there has been an uptick in young people who state they use drugs to help deal with depression or anxiety.

“I also hear a lot about isolation or boredom, especially during Covid, that was so common,” said Bagley.

A high percentage of youth who turn to drugs or overdose also have a history of mental health issues, said Bagley.

“It’s really clear from the data that there are a lot of opportunities available for us to provide more overdose education, distribute more naloxone, and be able to train people on how to respond when there is an overdose,” said Bagley.

Statistics show that over 60 percent of overdoses for young people happen in their own homes and with someone nearby. Nearly 70 percent of those overdoses have no response from someone who is nearby, Bagley said.

Response strategies for youth are focused on strategies of detection, prevention, and empowerment, according to Traci Green, an epidemiologist and professor at Brandeis University. 

In addition to making sure people have and know how to use naloxone, Green said it’s also important for there to be access to fentanyl test strips, which can help drug users determine if there is fentanyl present in drugs.

Prevention strategies include regular medical check ups, youth having a confidential person they can talk to, and empowerment strategies can include having a safety plan in place that includes hydration and having someone available to check in on someone using drugs.