GREENSBORO, N.C. — Guilford County Schools said the district has reported 116 drug violations this school year alone compared to 114 this time last year.
According to Guilford County Public Health, there's been a 200% increase in overdose deaths in the past decade. Fentanyl is the number one killer of young adults in the country.
A recent survey of Northern Guilford students shows that 88% of students say there is some severity of drug use, and 22% say it's a major problem in their school.
It's not just there. County leaders say it's happening in all schools.
Fentanyl is a drug, about 50 to 100 times stronger than morphine.
Guilford County Emergency Services said they are seeing fentanyl overdoses in patients all across the board.
"It really is a very dangerous drug. It's what we see most often with overdoses in the community, and there's not any regulation as to the strength of what a fentanyl dose may look like," said Scott Muthersbaugh, with Guilford County Emergency Services.
Now, county leaders are saying fentanyl has made it to our schools.
Sheriff Danny Rogers weighed in on the issue saying, "Our youth are teenagers in schools dealing with it, hiding. You're trying to run away from other things and so, what do they do? They go to the drugs and not realize, I don't believe that many of them realize that marijuana or the vape have been laced with fentanyl."
Susan Stevens started the non-profit, Tealdrops after her daughter overdosed on fentanyl.
“My daughter was found with a needle in her arm. I never thought it would be my kid. I judge and the big thing is, we don’t need to judge, we need to educate, and we need to know that addiction is not the individual. The addiction is the demon in this individual,” Stevens said.
Stevens and community leaders say they are doing what they can to prevent this disease from reaching your child.
The Food and Drug Administration panel voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of making Narcan, the overdose-reversing drug, available over the counter.
An educational town hall is being held on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at Northern Guilford High School to share the facts and dangers of Fentanyl.