Four Oklahoma Mothers Who Lost Children to Fentanyl Teach in Schools under Rain's Law: Report from Blanchard Middle School
Blanchard, McLean County, Oklahoma — Four Oklahoma mothers who lost children to fentanyl have spent recent weeks visiting schools across the state to teach students about its dangers, as reported on October 30. Earlier this week they presented at Blanchard Middle School, where some students were moved to tears and others were eager to ask questions.
Last session, Oklahoma lawmakers mandated fentanyl abuse prevention education for students in grades 6 through 12. The law is named Rain's Law, after Rain Reece, who died at 19 after taking a counterfeit Xanax laced with fentanyl. The four mothers tell the stories of their children: Jeffrey, Jacee, Hannah and Rain.
"These are our children," said Melissa Baptiste, who lost her son Jeffrey. "Each one of them took something they thought was something else, and it ended up being fentanyl." Kristy O'Shell, Jacee's mother, tearfully told students she wants them to remember these faces, because they will eventually be faced with choices and decisions.
Students learned that a pencil-tip amount of fentanyl can kill multiple people, that it is odorless and tasteless, that poisoning happens quickly and requires a fast reaction, and how to recognize an overdose and administer Narcan. Rain's mother, Karla Carlock, said she hopes the stories help students make a different decision in a hard moment, because an impulsive decision can have permanent consequences.
Rain's Law also includes mandatory mental health and suicide prevention education, and the mothers also taught the consequences of distributing drugs. The group said it will continue traveling to schools across the state in the coming weeks.
Source: GSM America
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：Oklahoma State Capitol 2024。来源：Wikimedia Commons（Oklahoma Legislative Services Bureau，CC0）
