PHOENIX — It's hard enough to talk to our teens about everyday things, but there is a conversation you may have been avoiding that you can't afford to ignore anymore.
Fentanyl is now a widespread problem in this community and communities all across America - so what is the best way to talk to your child? ABC15 spoke with a Valley mom who is also a trained expert who works with Phoenix police, testing these drugs day in and day out.
"My mom was a cop, and I grew up around cops," explains Erica Bell. "I always wanted to serve the community, so I ended up here."
The drive to serve is something that's in Bell's genetics - and as a forensic scientist with the Phoenix Police Department, she knows a thing or two about DNA!
For close to two decades, Bell has been working inside Phoenix Police Department's crime labs as one of the department's most experienced forensic scientists.
"How has your job changed over those 17 years?" ABC15's Nick Ciletti asked.
"A lot of what I tested was marijuana - now, I don't hardly ever test marijuana," Bell said. "Fentanyl wasn't even in the picture except for fentanyl patches or injectables from the hospitals. Now, that's the story of our lives."
She explains that roughly two-thirds of what is tested in the lab contains fentanyl, showing just how common the drug has become.
According to Phoenix police, the department processed roughly 5,800 cases involving fentanyl in 2022.
RELATED: Growing fentanyl issue remains a concern for Phoenix police
And this year, they're on track to shatter that record, predicting a total of 7,000-8,000 cases involving fentanyl.
"It's kind of terrifying," Bell explains. "There is so much readily available for people. People don't bat an eye at it anymore. When it first came out, people were afraid of it, they were not using very much of it, they were using small amounts. Nowadays, people are using 20-30 pills a day sometimes."
And even small amounts can be deadly. According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, 42% of all pills tested contain at least 2 mg of fentanyl — a potentially deadly dose.
"It doesn't take much," Bell says.
And because of that, it's more crucial than ever for parents to explain to their kids what the risks are.
"You're a mom," Ciletti said. "How do you feel parents can bring this topic up to their kids?"
"It is hard, but I think most importantly, you have to be honest and open and you need to take advantage of the situation - whether it's TV or something like this or personal experience or kids asking questions...," Bell said. "If your kids are asking questions, you want to be open and you want to not pass judgment on them. You want to make sure that you know who they are interacting with, and most importantly, teach them to say no. Give them the courage and strength to be able to say no in those situations and to know they can count on you in those difficult times."
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl overdose deaths in minors nearly tripled from 2019-2021.
CDC also says fentanyl was involved in 84% of teen overdose deaths in 2021.
For more resources on fentanyl and what to tell your kids, click here.
