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Student winners use posters and videos to warn Caldwell County peers about fentanyl
Summary
Brie Flanagan of the Caldwell County Health Department interviewed two high school winners of the Fentanyl Awareness Challenge about posters and videos they created to warn peers about counterfeit pills and overdose risks. Students urged sharing materials in schools and on social media and highlighted local resources and Narcan training.
Brie Flanagan, a public health educator at the Caldwell County Health Department, interviewed two high school winners of the Fentanyl Awareness Challenge about projects designed to warn peers about the risks of fentanyl.
LaLana, a student who won for a poster entry, said she entered the contest to test her poster-making skills and to educate others. "I wanted to use it as an opportunity to see how good I was at posters...and use it to educate people as best I could," she said. Flanagan said the posters will be distributed in places with high foot traffic, such as schools, venues and businesses, to maximize visibility.
Gavin, who produced a video, described why the work felt urgent. "Between 2023 and 2024, almost 500 Caldwell County citizens were referred to Caldwell County Restart for substance use disorder," he said, and added that street fentanyl is often pressed into counterfeit pills that can look like legitimate prescription drugs. "One pill can kill, and let's not lose another person to Caldwell County," Gavin said.
Gavin recounted witnessing a fentanyl overdose in a local parking lot two weeks earlier and described the experience as "really upsetting." Flanagan used the moment to urge viewers to learn how to use naloxone (Narcan) and to contact local resources she listed, including Caldwell County PORT and RHA Mobile Crisis.
Both students emphasized clear safety messages. LaLana pointed out that fentanyl can be lethal in very small amounts and urged people not to take pills that were not prescribed to them. Gavin and Flanagan recommended sharing the student work on social platforms to reach teens and adults; Gavin specifically mentioned YouTube, TikTok and Facebook as likely to have the biggest reach.
Flanagan praised the students' creativity and educational focus and encouraged other young people to participate in future challenges, saying the projects connect participants with accurate resources and community partners. The health department said it will share the posters and videos through its channels to broaden community awareness.
