Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Student Health Fentanyl topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Students ask school board to add fentanyl education; teen-led group seeks partnership
Summary
Two students urged the Alachua County School Board to adopt teen-led fentanyl awareness presentations. The group, Not Even Once (NEO), said short, peer-to-peer sessions helped Okaloosa County reach thousands and asked to meet with the superintendent.
Two students told the Alachua County School Board on Sept. 2 that schools should add targeted fentanyl awareness education after public comment describing the risks of counterfeit pills and the speed with which young people can be exposed.
Genesis Menace Chavez, introduced herself as a current Gainesville student and told the board that fentanyl is "50 times stronger than heroin" and that a single gram can be lethal. Chavez said fake pills labeled as prescription drugs are appearing in social media-driven peer networks and urged the district to educate students about the hazards.
Her colleague Declan Harnett described Not Even Once (NEO), a teen-led nonprofit that provides short 20-minute presentations for high school students. Harnett said NEO delivered presentations across Okaloosa County and reached more than 2,000 students there; he asked Superintendent Dr. Patton to meet to discuss tailoring NEO's program to Alachua County schools.
"We deliver short, interactive, 20 minute presentations to students where we humanize the epidemic, show its consequences, and make it understandable," Harnett said. He added that peer-to-peer diffusion of information increases reach: "If just 1 kid goes and tells 5 friends...we would have reached 11 people."
Board members and staff did not announce a formal commitment during the meeting but the students extended an invitation to district leadership. The request joins broader efforts nationally and in Florida to expand youth-facing fentanyl awareness and prevention programs.
Why it matters School-based prevention that reaches adolescents quickly is a commonly cited strategy to reduce overdose risk because counterfeit pills and fentanyl are circulating in social networks frequented by teens. The students asked for an initial meeting to explore whether a short, peer-delivered presentation could supplement existing health education.
Clarifying details - The students described NEO's presentation as a single 20-minute, teen-delivered session. - Harnett said NEO worked in Okaloosa County and reached over 2,000 students in under a year. - The speakers asked for a meeting with Superintendent Dr. Patton to discuss program tailoring for Alachua County schools.
Ending The board did not take formal action at the meeting; students said they would follow up to schedule a meeting with district leadership.
