Opinion

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Several weeks ago, I called your attention to the affects fentanyl is having across the country and our community.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and non-fatal overdoses in the U.S.

There are two types of fentanyl — pharmaceutical and illegally manufactured fentanyl. Pharmaceutical fentanyl is prescribed by doctors to treat severe pain, especially after surgery and for advanced stage cancer and other life altering medical conditions.

Fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the most common drugs involved in overdose deaths. Even in small doses, it can be deadly. More than 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

The teens that are the most at risk may just tune this warning out, and simply telling your children not to use drugs is not the most effective way to discuss fentanyl and other drugs.

According to the Center for Disease Control, nearly 110,000 people in the United States died of drug overdoses and drug poisoning in the last 12 months. A staggering 67 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Some of these deaths were attributed to fentanyl mixed with other illicit drugs like cocaine, methamphetamines and heroin, with many users unaware they were actually taking fentanyl.

Sadly, the illicit use of these poisons is not restricted to our youth. Adults are the primary source of illicit money for these drug traffickers, so it behooves us all to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to my office.

Fentanyl is tasteless, odorless, and potentially too small to see. In fact, an amount about the size of a few grains of rice can cause an overdose or death.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration report a dramatic rise in the number of counterfeit pills containing at least 2 milligrams of fentanyl, which is considered a deadly dose. Testing at the DEA labs has shown four of every 10 manufactured pills contain a potentially lethal dose of fentanyl. It’s often added to other drugs because of its extreme potency, which makes drugs cheaper, more powerful, more addictive and more dangerous.

Drug dealers often sell fentanyl as fake oxycodone. Buyers may think they’re getting oxycodone, but they’re getting another opioid drug that has fentanyl and other substances in it. On the street, these drugs have nicknames like Beans, Green Apples, Apache, Goodfellas, Great Bear, He-Man, Jackpot, King Ivory, Chinatown and others. Parents should be alert to their children using these terms in conversation.

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl is available on the illegal drug market in many different forms, including liquid and powder. Powdered fentanyl looks just like many other drugs, and in its liquid form can be found in nasal spray, eye drops, or small candies mainly targeted at our children.

Fentanyl is extremely addictive. With frequent use, one may develop a tolerance and need more and more to feel the same effect. Further, an individual can become mentally and physically dependent on fentanyl.

Fentanyl, like other opioids, produce effects such as relaxation, euphoria, pain relief, sedation, confusion, drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and respiratory issues. So, if you witness your child, or anyone displaying any of these conditions you would be wise to seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Overdoses may result in stupor, changes in pupillary size, cold and clammy skin, and respiratory failure.

Some of the things to look for are:

•Small, constricted pinpoint pupils

•Unresponsiveness

•Falling asleep or losing consciousness

•Slow, weak or no breathing

•Choking or gargling sounds

•Limp body

•Cold and or clammy skin

•Discolored skin, especially in lips and nails

It’s difficult to determine whether a person is high on alcohol or experiencing a drug-induced overdose. If you aren’t sure, treat it like an overdose, you could save-a-life.

If you suspect someone who has been poisoned from fentanyl, or any illicit drugs, do the following:

•Call 911 and inform my operator that you believe someone has been poisoned. If the person becomes unconscious, stops breathing, has chest pain, or has a seizure start CPR immediately.

•Take any remaining pills from the persons mouth or patches from the skin so the person doesn’t absorb anymore fentanyl

•Try to keep the person awake and breathing

•Administer Naloxone/Narcan, if available

•Lay the person on their side to prevent choking

•Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives

Naloxone, or Narcan, is an antidote to fentanyl overdose which can reverse symptoms of fentanyl and other opioid poisoning. Naloxone/Narcan can be purchased at many local pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens without a prescription. However, it does not work every time and the effects of the Naloxone may not last as long as the opioid.

Fentanyl test strips can help in determining the presence of fentanyl in body and on other substances. These strips were originally created to detect fentanyl in urine; however, you can also use them to see whether a drug contains fentanyl in just a few minutes. They also are available at many pharmacies, including CVS and Walgreens as well. They are inexpensive and typically give results in 5 minutes, which can be the difference between life and death.

Even if the test is negative, take caution as test strips might not detect more potent fentanyl-like drugs. If you are considering obtaining this antidote or the test product, please discuss them with your pharmacist, so you have a complete understanding of how they are to be used.

Recognizing the signs of opioid overdose can save a life.

Unfortunately, I don’t believe this problem will be solved any time soon, therefore, I will continue to provide you with updates.

Should you be interested in learning about our “Proactive Drug Interdiction Unit” please feel free to reach out to my office for details. Should you have any questions about this or any other subject please feel free to contact me at my non-emergency telephone number at (936) 653-4367.

Greg Capers is Sheriff of San Jacinto County.

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By Chris Edwards

School board meetings can be eye-opening events for anyone interested in how our children are educated, and you should be interested. Not only are those children our future, but you, the taxpayer, are a stakeholder in that process.

Occasionally, some ideas and things said in those meetings can prove controversial. Hopefully, the scenario described below does not rise to that level, but I do hope some decisions will be reconsidered.

At the Colmesneil ISD regular monthly meeting of its board of trustees last week, one board member reportedly inquired of CISD Superintendent Dr. Scott Davis about the status of eighth-grade graduation. Davis replied to the board member, who concluded his query with “Is that not a thing anymore?” with “not if I have anything to do with it.”

Davis gave his reasoning as being the transition of eighth grade to freshman year is just “too close to high school,” and went on to state that the cute kindergarten graduation ceremonies are acceptable to him, but that he’s, personally, not a fan of the eighth-grade graduation events.

Now this is in no way to sleight Dr. Davis, who is a respected educational professional, and a great asset to CISD, but merely my thoughts on the subject.

Sure, some parents can probably overdo the celebration of their kids’ transition from the gawky era of junior high into high school, but the practice of the ceremony itself is a great morale booster for those kids, who need all of the morale-boosting they can get nowadays.

Full disclosure: I am a CISD alumni and proud Bulldog supporter. I remember my eighth-grade graduation (or promotion, if you’re inclined to refer to it) well. It was a fun evening and felt like a big deal, and it was a big deal to us.

Eighth grade graduations back in my day were a good way for us young folks making that leap to get all dressed-up in a business casual sort of way outside of church, and to enjoy get togethers afterward with piles of cold Subway sandwiches and two-liters of cola.

Also, there were gifts. I remember receiving a Sony Discman from my grandparents, which was high cotton at the time.

Compared to then, I’m sure what I just described probably sounds all kinds of rinky-dink to youngsters of that age now, but what of it? Celebrate those young years and those achievements as often as you can.

For those who would posit that eighth-grade graduation is a useless exercise, I would rebut that, “No, gender-reveal parties are pointless and unnecessary. Eighth grade graduation ceremonies, on the other hand, are a milestone.”

I’m sure some of you who’ve been around a little longer might say “Well, we didn’t have no stinkin’ eighth-grade graduation in my day.” Sure, I get it. The tradition hasn’t been around since the days of walking five miles uphill in the snow and whatnot, but it has become just that: a tradition.

Again, today’s young people need all of the incentives and motivation they can get in order to succeed academically, and getting to celebrate another milestone, like moving into that next (and final) chapter of their public-school education can be crucial and can help set up future successes.

So, I implore the administration of Colmesneil ISD: give those eighth graders one more chance to shine, and don’t dismiss their graduation/promotion.

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As the month of March winds down, so does Women’s History Month, the annual month that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and contemporary society. Although strides have been made, there is still work to be done.

I recently read an article about a New York City woman that went viral for tweeting about her fight for equal pay. The 25-year-old writer had seen a job listing for a full-time position with her company that pays as much as $90,000 more than what she makes as a contractor in the same position. Had a salary transparency law that went into effect in New York City last October not occurred, she would have never discovered the salary disparity. Evidently the salary transparency law in New York City has resulted in more of an awareness of the gender pay gap.

The gender pay gap in the U.S. hasn’t changed much in the last two decades, according to the Pew Research Center which reported that in 2022 women, on average, make 82 cents for every dollar earned by men, results similar to 2002 when women made 80 cents for every dollar earned by men. And data shows that the numbers are even worse for mothers, women of color and all women as they age.

March 14 was Equal Pay Day this year, the symbolic day dedicated to raising awareness of the gender pay gap. In the U.S. the date symbolizes how far into the [following] year the average median woman must work in order to have earned what the average median man earned the entire previous year. The exact day differs each year. According to the American Association of University Women (AAUW), Equal Pay Day for Black women will not come until July. For moms, Equal Pay Day does not come until August. For Latina women, Equal Pay Day does not come until October and for Native women, Equal Pay Day is not until November.

Throw in the ubiquitous “pink tax” and it is not difficult to see why women could be bitter. Not familiar with the pink tax? It’s the tendency for products marketed specifically toward women to be more expensive than those marketed toward men, with many of the affected products being pink. Some examples include disposable razors, shave gel, bath soap, body lotion, shampoo and deodorant. It has also been seen in clothing and children’s toys.

AAUW is an organization that promotes higher education for young women, champions equal opportunities in education and works to narrow the gender pay gap. Its mission is to enhance gender equity for women and girls through research, education and advocacy. AAUW members, supporters and staff work on local, state and federal levels to support laws and policies that enable women’s success.

Dr. Alena Pace of the Huntsville AAUW and Mrs. Leland Best of the Beaumont AAUW were instrumental in establishing a new branch in East Texas – the Polk County branch – in 1981 and 1982. The charter members were teachers, librarians, home economists and county agents. The branch has expanded to include doctors, lawyers, college professors and administrators. All members have been actively involved in the community at one time or another.

The Polk County branch of AAUW is a proponent of higher education for young women. Though small in number, the branch early on established a scholarship for local high school graduates funded by an annual book sale. In 2015, a combination bridge luncheon and silent auction became the branch’s new fundraiser and continues to be a successful event, allowing the original scholarship of $150 to grow to $3,000 plus.

Over the years, the Polk County branch of AAUW has organized numerous projects, including a workshop for middle school girls on career opportunities, voter registrations, assistance for the annual empty stocking program and the provision of needed supplies for SAAFE House. The local branch also supports AAUW’s national legal and education funds.

The Polk County branch of AAUW meets at 11 a.m. on the third Monday from September through May in the fellowship hall of the First Presbyterian Church located at 910 N. Washington Ave. in Livingston and goes to lunch afterward. New members have found the local branch through the AAUW Texas website (aauw-tx.aauw.net), this newspaper and through word of mouth.

A member myself, my involvement with the organization has afforded me the opportunity to make new friends, create networks and gain awareness of an array of areas and topics. I currently serve as the vice president for membership so if you think you might be interested in joining, please contact me and I will assist you.      

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By Tony Farkas
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As the father of a couple of precocious teens, I’m constantly bombarded with them interrupting my television/work/gaming/chill time with some video of something bizarre they found on TikTok.

Once the 30-second or so video winds down, they cackle and run away, amazed at the humor and creativity of the nebbish that created it.

Myself, I’m left pondering why they thought it was funny, and attribute the puzzlement to a pretty large generational gap. (Yeah, I’m a Boomer, and they’re Gen Z, or Zoomers, which in itself is funny.)

Were I to find something unpalatable in those videos, I point it out and discuss it with them, since that’s what parents do.

Lately, though, there is a lot of noise being made on state and national fronts about the Chinese ownership of TikTok, and what that means to the safety of our children and security of our country. That noise also is requiring elected officials to ban the social media app from the planet.

There are multiple reasons this is so not a good idea.

The tendency to run to the government when things become difficult has gotten out of control. This kind of thinking leads directly to the loss of liberty; the government can’t pick or choose what goes where, and if it tries to limit or outright ban something, it then has to put into place the means to enforce that ban.

I call that foot-in-the-door policy making. Once a law is passed, and is accepted without challenge, then it can be expanded to suit whatever need the government sees fit. There’s numerous examples of this, what with Medicaid, Social Security, heck, even income tax, which prior to World War II was only used in times of war, and then repealed.

Think about it. Say the government limits TikTok, and then something else come in, or the name is changed and reintroduced to the market. The government will then have to strengthen the law, or introduce new laws, and the cycle will continue until the government will need to take over the internet completely as well as regulate broadband usage.

That may seem like hyperbole, but it really isn’t.

There also are concerns that since it is a Chinese creation, that there will be all kinds of spying and stuff going on, because ignorant people doing ignorant things and filming them will lead to the downfall of the American Dream.

Regardless of ownership, though, it seems to me that the content is free speech and protected under the First Amendment.

While the government certainly has the right to limit what can done on government property, such as computers and cell phones, it should not extend its grasp to personal and private items. That’s not its purview; that’s the purview of parents, as I alluded to at the beginning of this column.

It pains me to see news stories about mothers beseeching elected officials to ban TikTok. Seems to me that their job.

Taking interest in what’s going on in children’s lives pays more dividends than just setting boundaries, and sometimes, those videos can be clever. Don’t give that away.