***News Alert***Drug Dealers Connecting and Selling Drugs to Kids on Snapchat

Did you know that drug dealers are wheeling and dealing with kids on Snapchat? And the drugs they are pedaling across your middle and high schooler’s favorite app are often laced with fentanyl, resulting in overdoses.

While very scary, I wondered if my own high school junior knew about this trend on Snapchat. I asked her and she did not know about this or had seen it online. The question sparked her interest. Together, we watched this NBC Today Show clip, which depicts the tragic story of Dr. Laura Bermen’s 16-year-old son. He bought a Xanax on Snapchat, had it delivered to his home, took it, and was found dead in his bedroom a few hours later. What he did not know was the Xanax was laced with fentanyl, which causes overdose.

When we finished watching the clip, she looked at me and asked, “What’s fentanyl?” I was shocked!

“You don’t know what fentanyl is???” I replied. This is on me. I never thought about talking about this with her or my two older children. To be honest, it scares the life out of me. While I hope my children never experiment with drugs, the reality is they might. And now, with the latest trend of drug dealers infiltrating the place where kids hang and connect most often and freely, it has just become incrementally easier for dealers to connect, sell and deliver. With a single click, a teen can purchase drugs and have them delivered to the house. It’s like Uber Eats for drugs!

My heart breaks for Dr. Bermen and her husband, but I am grateful for their willingness to share their experience in the hope that we can educate and protect our kids. PLEASE TAKE THE TIME TO WATCH THIS CLIP, SHARE IT WITH YOUR CHILD, AND HAVE A CONVERSATION.