Oregon nonprofit offers fentanyl tools for parents

The New Drug Talk Oregon launched Tuesday

HILLSBORO, Ore. (KOIN) — Jennifer Epstein lost her 18-year-old son, Cal, to a fentanyl overdose in 2020. Now she’s leading an awareness program in Oregon to save other families from this fate.

“The New Drug Talk Oregon” is a tool for parents and caregivers to educate themselves on the dangers of fentanyl and fake pills, encouraging them to have ongoing conversations with their teens about mental health and the risk of pills.

The non-profit started this statewide campaign Tuesday that does more than just warn about the dangers of the deadly drug. It also provides free resources to help start tough conversations.

“It’s something that you never think it will happen to you — until it does,” Epstein said. “In the past young people could get away with self-medicating or experimenting, whereas today that could be a deadly choice.”

Her son thought he was taking a prescription pill from a dealer on Snapchat. Instead, it was a deadly dose of fentanyl.

While people see fentanyl on the streets, Epstein said parents should know teenagers who have no intentions of consuming fentanyl can still get it.

One of the videos on the website features a man who said:

“What people need to understand is that today, whenever somebody reaches for a pill that’s not prescribed to them, whether they get it from social media or a friend, there is a risk that it could contain fentanyl and that could be a lethal dose of fentanyl. It’s especially risky when it’s mixed with other substances. It really heightens the risk of overdose.”

The New Drug Talk Oregon provides educational videos and resources to make sure parents can get the message through to their teens — one pill can kill.

In a recent survey in Oregon, this organization found 73% of parents said they talked to their kids about fentanyl, but only about 45% of kids remember having that conversation.

That is why it’s important for these conversations to be ongoing.