Nemsie Gonzalez
Managing Editor
On Monday, April 21, at 7 p.m. in Allen Commons, The College of Wooster was joined by Dr. Beth Weinstock, a co-founder of BirdieLight, to educate students on fentanyl overdose prevention.
BirdieLight aims to combat fentanyl overdoses through education. Beth and Olivia Weinstock founded the initiative after the death of Eli Weinstock, their son and brother, respectively. Beth Weinstock began by telling the story of her son. She emphasized that in remembrance of her son, the project is led “with a big, kind heart.” She described the fight against fentanyl as the public health crisis of Generation Z, providing data on the impact of fentanyl. According to Beth Weinstock, fentanyl was responsible for the majority of deaths caused by drug overdose from 1999-2022.
For Beth Weinstock, preventing stigma is of utmost importance when talking about accidental fentanyl ingestion. Risk taking was also a large part of the discussion, as Weinstock discussed how, during young adulthood, individuals are prone to take risks and act without thinking. Per Weinstock, the more aware of fentanyl a community becomes, the easier it is for that community to take necessary precautions against it.
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug, originally intended for pain management. Fentanyl can produce effects such as but not limited to euphoria, pain relief, sedation and confusion. Due to its strong potency, fentanyl can quickly suppress a person’s respiratory drive. Fentanyl is largely found in the drugs commonly known as heroin, meth and ecstasy, as well as counterfeit pills. As the dialogue went on, Weinstock displayed images of celebrities who had died of accidental fentanyl ingestion such as Angus Cloud, Lil Peep and Mac Miller. She then explained how fentanyl affects users.
After explaining the effects of fentanyl, Weinstock explained the importance of fentanyl test strips, demonstrating how they work and further emphasizing the importance of testing illicit drugs. Finally, Weinstock discussed the use of Narcan, or naloxone, and its importance in saving lives. Narcan, the brand name of naloxone, is a medication that can be used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose when given promptly.
The event ended with Weinstock directing students to the BirdieLight website, where students can order free Narcan and fentanyl test strips, as well as inviting students to come up to the podium to grab supplies there. For more information about BirdieLight and fentanyl awareness head over to birdielight.org.