9781422270547

THE YOUNG ADULT DRUG LIBRARY: AN EDUCATION FOR TODAY

BY ERIC BENAC

MASON CREST M I A M I

PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-4762-4 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4222-4767-9 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7054-7 Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress Developed and Produced by National Highlights, Inc. Project Manager: Andrew Morkes Cover and Interior Design: Tara Raymo • CreativelyTara Layout: Priceless Digital Media, LLC Publisher’s Note: Websites listed in this book were active at the time of publication. The publisher is not responsible for websites that have changed their address or discontinued operation since the date of publication. The publisher reviews and updates the websites each time the book is reprinted.

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Introduction............................................................... 6 Jenny’s Story: The Beginnings of a Fentanyl Addiction .... 11 Chapter 1: What Is Fentanyl? ....................................15 Jenny’s Downward Spiral: Lost Teeth, Rage, and Stealing from Her Parents . ........ 32 Chapter 2: The Negative Physical Effects of Fentanyl...37 Jenny’s Story: Becoming a Drug Dealer, Being Blackmailed, A Psychotic Episode, and a Trip to Rehab ....48 Chapter 3: The Negative Emotional Effects of Fentanyl...53 Jenny’s Story: Detox, Therapy, Relapse, and Recovery . ..68 Chapter 4: Treating Addiction to Fentanyl...................73 Series Glossary of Key Terms.....................................89 Further Reading.......................................................92 Internet Resources...................................................93 Index....................................................................... 94 Author’s Biography and Credits.................................96 Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more! Series Glossary of Key Terms: This back-of-the-book glossary contains terminology used throughout this series. Words found here increase the reader’s ability to read and comprehend higher-level books and articles in this field.

Drug abuse remains a major problem in the United States and in other countries. In 2019, 13 percent of people aged 12 years and over reported that they had used an illegal drug in the past month, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Abuse of prescription drugs, such as painkillers, is also a serious issue. Abusing drugs can have serious effects on one’s physical and mental health. It can also be deadly. One example is the rising number of drug overdoses, which have been fueled by the growing use and spread of the deadly opioid fentanyl. Nearly 100,000 Americans died from fentanyl overdoses from June 2020 to June 2021, according to the CDC. As a young person, you may have a lot of questions about drugs, addiction, and therapy as a result of the constant flow of information from your friends, parents, teachers, coaches, social media, and the news media. It can be confusing, because some of this information is accurate, and some is incorrect. Your questions might include: How are drugs grown or manufactured? What are the negative physical and mental effects of drug use and abuse? What are the legal penalties for possessing illegal drugs? How do you know whether someone is addicted to drugs? What are some treatment options for people who are addicted to drugs? The Young Adult Drug Library series provides answers to these and other questions about illegal and misused prescription drugs, addiction, and therapy. Each title spotlights a major drug or type of drug (such as painkillers); discusses the negative physical and mental effects of the addiction on the addict, as well as its effects on family and other loved ones; and provides

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Illegal fentanyl in powder form.

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Prescription fentanyl.

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an overview of treatment strategies for the addiction. Stories of those who are battling drug addiction are also featured in order to humanize these issues and to help readers better understand that anyone can become addicted to drugs, but also that recovery is possible.

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Jenny’s troubles began when she fell while competing in a relay race in gym class.

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The Young Adult Drug Library: Fentanyl

JENNY’S STORY: THE BEGINNINGS OF A FENTANYL ADDICTION Jenny is a good student who is shy and does not have a lot of friends. She has low self-esteem and thinks that she’s ugly and overweight—even though she is neither of these things. Although she gets “As” and “Bs,” she dreads going to school because she doesn’t feel good about herself and doesn’t have many friends. She also hates gym class and always seems to drop the ball, miss the open shot, or simply trip while she’s chasing an opponent. During a relay race on a hot day during gym class, she passes out as she stretches to grab the baton from her teammate and lands hard on her knee. Sadly, the result is a broken kneecap that is shattered in multiple places. After being rushed to the hospital, Jenny is treated for heat exhaustion and undergoes knee-reconstruction surgery that leaves her in pain for months. Her doctor, concerned about her pain, prescribes her fentanyl. They talk about how this drug works and she gives Jenny’s parents educational brochures that discuss its potential risks. The doctor encourages them to read the brochures but doesn’t discuss the risks verbally. “Your daughter’s been through a lot already,” the doctor says. “Let’s not worry her needlessly with these side effects just yet.” Jenny’s parents, Roberto and Juanita, are good parents and plan on talking about these symptoms

Jenny’s Story: The Beginnings of a Fentanyl Addiction

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with her later. However, they become more focused on caring for her immediate pain and never read the brochures. Unfortunately, they miss the warnings about addiction and abuse spread throughout the brochures and give Jenny fentanyl every day for her pain. At first, Jenny sleeps a lot when she takes fentanyl, because its potent effects make her so drowsy. She appreciates how it eliminates her pain, and she starts looking forward to it every morning. Slowly but surely, Jenny starts feeling better, and her pain goes away.

Jenny spent a week in the hospital after her fall during gym class.

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The Young Adult Drug Library: Fentanyl

Eventually, her fentanyl prescription runs out, and her parents don’t get another, because the pain has decreased. However, Jenny starts noticing something strange every morning: she feels sick to her stomach and craves fentanyl. It scares her to feel this way, because she understands what addiction means, after learning about it in one of her physical health classes. “But I can’t be addicted,” she thinks to herself one night while trying to ignore the stomach cramps. “Addiction happens to other people or only when people use it for the wrong reasons. I got fentanyl legally, and I needed it. I still need it. My pain hasn’t gone away. That’s why I feel like I need it every morning. I have to talk to mom and dad about this tomorrow.” Jenny does just that the next morning and convinces her parents that she is still in pain. They trust her, because she’s always been a good daughter and never lies to them. They talk to their daughter and, though surprised, the physician extends the fentanyl prescription for another month. Jenny starts taking one every morning again and feels the positive emotions associated with her use return. Without meaning to, or realizing that it was happening, Jenny develops an addiction to fentanyl. Throughout the rest of this book, we’ll continue Jenny’s story as she experiences physical and emotional issues related to her abuse. Thankfully, we can report a happy ending for this young woman. Unfortunately, not everyone who becomes addicted to fentanyl is so lucky.

Jenny’s Story: The Beginnings of a Fentanyl Addiction

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WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

black market: an illegal market for illicit substances and other items, often at incredibly high prices cognitive: refers to anything related to a person’s ability to think, understand, and process information intravenously: injecting a substance into the body via a needle, such as injecting liquid fentanyl into a vein in the arm to get high opioids: drugs derived from the poppy plant that trigger a high release of pleasurable chemicals in the brain; synthetic varieties are artificially produced to simulate this reaction peer pressure: when friends try to get another person in a social group to do something (often illegal or dangerous) that they do not want to do potency: the measurement of how strongly something affects a person, such as how much fentanyl triggers physical and mental changes after use

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HEROIN

WHAT IS FENTANYL? The Pros and Cons of Fentanyl

The pharmaceutical industry manufactures many different painkillers to help people avoid unnecessary suffering after surgery, during rehabilitation from serious injuries, or even from side effects caused by cancer. Many of these substances are synthetic opioids that provide many benefits for people who are recuperating in hospitals or at home. For example, fentanyl is often prescribed as a painkiller and an addiction treatment option for many. Unfortunately, fentanyl is incredibly potent and has the risk of causing addiction when improperly used. Many experts cite fentanyl as one of the leading factors in the opioid epidemic sweeping the world. Its high prescription rates have been particularly problematic in the United States and have created a wide black market in many parts of the nation. As a result, it is important to understand what this drug is and how its abuse may affect an individual. In this chapter, we’ll highlight where fentanyl comes from, how it affects a person,

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symptoms of addiction, how addiction may affect a user’s loved ones, and the legal issues a person may experience if they abuse fentanyl. This information can help students like you better understand this serious problem. What Is Fentanyl, and How Is It Made? Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is used primarily for managing pain. It is legal to use fentanyl when prescribed by a doctor and purchased from a pharmacy. Many people use fentanyl every

A table full of illegal fentanyl and other designer drugs seized by US Customs and Border Protection at the International Mail Facility in Chicago, Illinois.

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The Young Adult Drug Library: Fentanyl