March 2022 - Growing Up in Santa Cruz

Whalefest Monterey

growingupsc — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 18:54:47 +0000

Whalefest Monterey Whalefest Monterey announces lineup for 2-day Symposium with world-renowned marine experts and historians on March 19 & 20, 2022 Symposium to be held at Heritage Harbor adjacent to the Recreation Trail, just steps away from Old Fisherman’s Wharf March 2, 2022. Monterey, CA. Don’t miss the 2-day Symposium during Whalefest Monterey on March 19th and 20th, 2022 featuring cutting-edge presentations by marine experts and others about important issues surrounding the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and beyond. In addition to the Symposium, Whalefest will feature dozens of interactive exhibits, live music and other activities for all ages. In 2022, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will be celebrating its 50th anniversary of ocean protection and the 30th anniversary of the local Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. To celebrate this anniversary, on Saturday, March 19th at 11:00 am, Whalefest Monterey keynote speakers, former Congressmember Sam Farr and former Save Our Shores director Dan Haifley, will discuss how a decades-long citizen movement culminated in the creation of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, protecting one quarter of California’s coastline from offshore oil and other threats. These presentations will be followed by Dr. Lisa Wooninck, Superintendent of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, who will provide an overview, “50 Years of Whale Conservation by National Marine Sanctuaries”. Peggy Stap, Executive Director, Marine Life Studies will then talk about the Whale Entanglement Team (WET) ®, the anatomy of a whale rescue response, updates on recent entanglements, and Marine Life Studies’ lost and abandoned fishing gear removal project. Peggy’s presentation will be followed by Dr. Matt Savoca from Hopkins Marine Station at Stanford University who will talk about Baleen whale prey consumption and its effects on marine ecosystems. Next, Dr. Dan Fernandez from CSUMB will describe coastal fog, its importance to regional ecosystems, and its role in (and how it may be affected by) processes associated with climate change. Sunday, March 20th at Whalefest Monterey’s Symposium opens at 11:00 am with a presentation about California Condors which have faced many challenges in the wild, but are on track toward full recovery, by Kelly Sorensen, Executive Director, Ventana Wildlife Society. This presentation will be followed by Dr. Corey Garza from CSUMB who will discuss the development of an autonomous aerial drone program created as part of NOAA’s Center for Coastal and Marine Ecosystems (CCME) to support next generation monitoring approaches for assessing status and trends in coastal ecosystems. Sunday afternoon is devoted to fishing history and the Western Flyer vessel, past, present and future. A panel of experts will examine how diverse ethnic fishing cultures have benefited historically from the bounty of the Monterey Bay–from the Native people to Portuguese whalers, Japanese divers and Chinese fishermen to the Sicilian fishing families. Speakers include historian Tim Thomas, Larry Oda, Board Member of the Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) and former JACL National President, Tony Goulart, President, Portuguese Heritage Publications of California, and Bob Enea, whose family owned the Western Flyer which John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts chartered in 1940 for their famous voyage to the Sea of Cortez. Following that, Dr. William Gilly from Hopkins Marine Station and the Western Flyer Foundation will talk about the Western Flyer’s recent restoration and return to Monterey in 2022, where it will soon provide an at-sea educational experience in STEM and humanities subjects. In addition to the presentations, ocean and marine–related documentaries are scheduled to be shown during the midday break. For a complete schedule and detailed descriptions, please go to the 12th Annual Whalefest Monterey page on: www.montereywharf.com or www.whalefest.org or call 831-238-0777 or email info@montereywharf.com The Symposium is held at an indoor venue at Heritage Harbor generously made available by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It will follow their COVID protocols which requires proof of vaccination or a negative test within 24 hours to enter the venue as well as wearing masks, subject to change. For current information, go to https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/proof-covid19-vaccination-required. This “edutaining” family friendly event will be held at and around Old Fisherman’s Wharf and the Custom House Plaza -Monterey State Historic Park. It includes fun activities for all ages, musicians, boat displays and dozens of fascinating marine-related interactive exhibits by numerous local organizations. Whalefest Monterey benefits many local and national marine organizations that educate, inspire, and empower the public to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). Of special note is that in 2022, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries will be celebrating its 50th anniversary of ocean protection and the 30th anniversary of the local Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The event will also feature a 2-day Symposium with world-renowned marine experts and historians at Heritage Harbor adjacent to the Recreation Trail and just steps away from the Wharf. The Symposium is held at an indoor venue generously made available by the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It will follow their COVID protocol which requires proof of vaccination or negative test within 24 hours to enter as well as wearing masks, subject to change.For the current schedule, see below. For current COVID protocol information, go to https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/proof-covid19-vaccination-required. Whalefest Monterey will feature many educational and engaging displays from local, regional and national non-profits that include: American Cetacean Society Big Sur Charter School California Coastal Commission California Killer Whale Project California State Parks Camp SEA Lab Community Builders for Monterey County Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Marine Life Studies Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary MBNMS Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History Santa Catalina Middle School Save the Whales/MontereySEA Sea Otter Savvy Seafloor Science ROV Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Surfrider Foundation Sustainability Office, City of Monterey The Marine Mammal Center The Wahine Project Ventana Wildlife Society Yacht Club – Monterey Peninsula (Note: Subject to change.) Fisheries Historian Tim Thomas will conduct two one-hour Wharf Walks both days at 11:00 am and 12:30 pm. Whale watchers come from around the world to view hundreds of whales, orcas, dolphins and pelicans who come to feast on a “krill and anchovy buffet” in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Throughout the year, this Whale Watching Capital of the World offers sightings of 15 species of whales, 10 species of dolphins, 2 species of porpoise, 6 species of pinnipeds and 1 species of Fissiped (sea otter). Whalefest Monterey is supported by many outstanding sponsors including the Arts Council for Monterey County, thanks to support from the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, Fisherman’s Wharf Association, Marine Life Studies, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Mechanics Bank, Bay Federal Credit Union, Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, Monterey County Bank, T-Mobile and Andronicos. Media sponsors include KSBW TV Action News 8, Central Coast ABC, Estrella TV Costa Central, KAZU 90.3 FM, Foolish Times and the Shagbag Radio Show. Corporate sponsorships are still available. Please contact Mary Alice Cerrito Fettis at maryalicefettis@gmail.com for more details.About NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Serving as the trustee for 14 national marine sanctuaries and two marine national monuments, NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary System encompasses more than 600,000 square miles of protected marine and Great Lakes waters. Few places on the planet can compete with the diversity of the system, which protects America’s most iconic natural and cultural marine resources. The system works with diverse partners and stakeholders to promote responsible, sustainable ocean uses that ensure the health of our most valued ocean places. A healthy ocean is the basis for thriving recreation, tourism and commercial activities that drive coastal economies. Backed by one of the nation’s strongest pieces of ocean conservation legislation, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, sanctuaries seek to preserve the extraordinary scenic beauty, biodiversity, historical connections. and economic productivity of our most precious underwater parks. For more information to www.montereywharf.com or www.whalefest.org or call 831-238-0777 or email info@montereywharf.com

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Adventures in Momming

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:25:29 +0000

Coloring

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:22:00 +0000

Submit your coloring entry to editor@growingupsc.com for a chance to be in our next issue! You can also mail them to Box 3505, Santa Cruz, 95063 Submissions due by March 15.

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Local Artist

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:16:40 +0000

Linda Cover Happy Spring! My name is Linda Cover, I am a teaching artist, living and working at the Tannery Arts Center. Because I love exploring new ideas and ways of creating, it is hard to define what kind of art I do. Most of my work involves photography and traditional and digital playfulness. My Images frequently capture nature and local icons from which I make prints, bags, shirts and pillows for everyday use. What is in our lives every day is part of who we are, it should offer beauty and inspiration. In addition to my personal art, I take great joy in working with young artists. I have small afterschool classes where young artists get together, outside, to draw animals in their habitats. We make books and zines too! We just published “Creatures in and around Monterey Bay”, inspired by the Sea Walls mural project, and “Artists for Oceans. We are working on “Redwood Forests and their Creatures” in the spring session. I am the founder/ director of Camp Tannery Arts, connecting Tannery artists with young artists, and also, Art Outside Camp, a fun, small nature art intensive camp. You can check my art and offerings on my website lindacover.org Read More Local Artist Articles

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Online Quizzes

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:13:57 +0000

What the Kids Are Saying

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:59:06 +0000

By Mikayla Shults Are you in high school and want to take Cabrillo courses? Maybe you didn’t even know that was an option. I spoke to people in high school and college to see if they knew what was being offered to them. The people included in this page were less than half of the originally interviewed people. So many high schoolers have no idea that they could be taking college courses or don’t understand how they could benefit from it. The good thing is everyone knew that they could attend Cabrillo for FREE after high school. So let’s get this straight. If you are in any high school in Santa Cruz county, you can be taking Cabrillo classes. If you go to a regular public school, talk to your counselor and check out the Cabrillo website. You can even take summer courses! If you are interested in taking as many courses as possible, independent studies could be the perfect thing for you. At a school like Oasis, located on the Cabrillo campus, you can take up to 12 credits of college courses. Whichever path you choose, classes will be free. If you need to fulfill a requirement but your school doesn’t offer any classes that you would enjoy, explore all of your options at Cabrillo. Say you need to take a science class but it’s only three credits at Cabrillo. When that class is put on your transcript, it will turn into ten credits! Now you have extra credits than required. What can that lead to? Early graduation. You don’t need to be the most intelligent person in your grade or even your friend group to try out a Cabrillo course. You’ll find that it’s not much different than a high school class. The only difference is that you will be meeting new people and earning extra credits. I’ve taken short, four-week courses over the summer and semester-long courses. They have both been favorable compared to any other class at high school. Here are some dual enrollment experiences from teenagers all over the county. For more information on the Cabrillo Promise Program visit: https://www.cabrillo.edu/financial-aid/cabrillo-promise/ For more information on Dual Enrollment visit: https://www.cabrillo.edu/high-school-students/dual-enrollment/ Bridger Junior | Coast Redwood High School Dual enrollment is when you’re in high school, taking a class/semester at a college (like Cabrillo). A semester at Cabrillo is worth one year of high school. I’m not currently enrolled in a college, but I imagine it is infinitely helpful to grasp college and future education. Dual enrollment is your go-to if you want to get into a four-year right out of high school. I would recommend it to myself and my friends and everyone. I would love to see my friends succeed and exceed, and this might be the way. I heard you need at least a 3.5 GPA in high school to get into Cabrillo free afterward. I don’t know for sure. Reese Junior | Oasis High School I am dual enrolled and so far it has been a really positive experience. All of my professors have been really great and I love how I can do classes that my high school does not offer. I took cultural anthropology last semester and it was recommended by another teacher. I was a little wary at first but I ended up loving that class and it was so much fun! I had no clue what anthropology was before taking that class and now I might even want to study it in college. I am super interested in it so this semester I am taking a biological anthropology class.I would definitely recommend dual enrollment to my friends. I enjoy doing college classes so I would hope they would too. I have been told that it is free after graduating and it’s also free to high school students doing less than 12 credits. Kyla Senior | Scotts Valley High School I have heard about dual enrollment but I don’t know much about it. Although I did hear that if you take a Cabrillo class during high school then it doesn’t apply, but I don’t know if that’s true or not. (It’s not true! Any course you take at Cabrillo counts for high school and college at the same time.). Nicole CABRILLO COLLEGE I knew about dual enrollment in high school but did not take any college classes. I would recommend dual enrollment to my friends. Read More Youth Writer Articles

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Parenting

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:48:52 +0000

Summer Jobs for High Schoolers By Jeanette Prather There are the classic high school summer jobs that might include a smaller retail position, tutoring, babysitting and the food industry. However, in the questionable times we’re living in with ongoing employee shortages, less willing capable workers and more ample excuses, creative options are a must… for everyone. Most summer jobs for teens range between $10 and $25 per hour, according to Indeed.com. Indeed suggests grocery store cart attendant, movie clerk, cashier, lifeguard, housekeeper, automotive detailer, stocking associate, delivery person, lawn care specialist, dog walker and swim instructor as plausible high school summer jobs. Conventional-ish Santa Cruz Jobs Almost everyone from Santa Cruz has had an encounter with working at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, usually through the Seaside Company and/or Whiting’s Foods. One local high school student, Ayla Ferrell, is among those who say she had a “wonderful experience at the Boardwalk!” They offer an array of experience and opportunities, all available at Beachboardwalk.com/jobs/ La Posada Retirement Community, offers local 14-year-olds a first-time job experience in the dining hall as a busser and/or room delivery staff (depending on your rotation for the evening). Back in 1999, when the minimum wage was $5.75, this was a thrilling prospect. Now, with California at a $14 minimum (federal government still at $7.25) it’s at least up with the times for a more lucrative option to high school students. More information about La Posada hiring procedures is available at laposadaretirementcommunity.com/contact-us. The Santa Cruz Children’s Museum of Discovery has an array of job opportunities at sccmod.org/job-opps. The Teen Trail Maintenance Aide Program, and the Sports Division are other great resources for students, according to Amanda Ares, the City of Santa Cruz Parks and Recreation Coordinator. For info about the trail maintenance contact Blake Woessner at bwoessner@cityofsantacruz.com and for sports positions, contact Daniel Lawson-Thomas at dlawson-thomas@cityofsantacruz.com.” Camp Counselor Positions Four Points Youth Camp is hiring five counselor positions, all ranging between $16 and $17 per hour. The positions include arts and crafts, S.T.E.M., games, sports and support counselors. For details: fourpointsyouthcamp.com/joinourteam. The City’s Junior Leader Program is open to teens 16-18 who want to volunteer at its Summer Camps programs to learn job skills and gain confidence in a workplace setting while having fun. Many of the volunteer Junior Leaders become paid staff when they reach an eligible age. For more info search Santa Cruz Junior Leader Program The City’s summer camp programs hire paid staff starting at 15.5 years of age. Some positions stretch year round. Three camps are hiring, not only for summer but during outdoor science camp, as well. The coordinator is MJ (cabinleaderinfo@santacruzcoe.org). The other two are YMCA of the Redwoods at Camp Campbell and Exploring New Horizons at the Redwood Glen Camp and Conference Center. The contacts for these positions are Sasha Gonzalez (cabinleader@ymcasv.org) and Danny Beutler (daniel@exploringnewhorizons.org), respectively. Santa Cruz Teen Center “Santa Cruz Teen Center put on job fairs for teens before the pandemic,” said local mom, Melissa Boose. “My son received his first job at 14 after applying to the Boardwalk during one of the fairs.” The Teen Center will be putting on the fair April 20, 2-5 pm in Laurel Park. It includes resume reviews, job applications and computers to do online applications.. Summer Internships for Teens The Summer Teen Intern Program, through the City of Santa Cruz, offers teens a paid internship through a city department. “In the past, we have had interns placed in PD, Fire, Water, Public Works, The Civic, London Nelson Community Center, The DeLaVeaga Golf Course, City Manager’s Office, Parks & Recreation, etc.” said Ares. “Teen Interns also participate in staff training and bi-weekly staff meetings which also double as education sessions on professionalism, interview skills, résumé creation or updating, etc. Some of our Summer Teen Interns have even gone on to secure year-round temporary positions within the City.” More Resources for High School Students & Families Santa Cruz City Schools offers a step-by-step guide for students and parents seeking more support on how to prepare and where to find jobs through a downloadable employment packet, application resources, interview tips and job offer responses. This employment-seeking resource is available at sccs.net/parents___students/star_works. More of the entrepreneurial mindset? One great website is howtostartanllc.com/young-entrepreneur-resources. Read More Parenting Articles

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Parenting

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:44:30 +0000

PRINT ME!

The post Parenting first appeared on Growing Up in Santa Cruz.

Teacher’s Desk

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:41:27 +0000

Roots and Wings By Lisa Catterall Children make your life important. — Erma Bombeck I’m staring at a dresser covered with dirty glasses. They have rings of dried and yellowed milk, encrusted smoothie droplets, and they are sitting on top of a stack of plates, some with pizza crusts hanging out. All that goes through my mind this time is a meme my best friend sent me. It said “If you don’t like their messy room, wait until their room is empty…” My best friend has always been one academic year ahead of me in the parenting game, from the time our kids met at age nine months (mine) and 18 months (hers). Now mine is a senior who just got into college and hers is away at his first year of college. I feel so many different emotions right now. It’s like I’m baking banana bread and I’ve thrown all the ingredients in, and the mixer is just starting to churn different things to the surface. My feelings are in the bowl of my stomach, and sometimes what surfaces is sugar, sometimes it’s salt, and sometimes it’s rotten bananas. I used to teach seniors. About this time of year, I’d start to get really miffed about how unfocused they were on my awesome curriculum. Here they were, as capable as they would ever be in my hands, and they just didn’t seem to be doing anything. Now I have a view from the other side, and I know that they are doing so very much. Everything they have known and depended on seems to be quickly approaching a cliff. There is an end date to their friendships which are the most important thing in the world for them. They are trying to detach, yet trying to fully inhabit all the days they have left with those friends. They want every ritual and rite of passage to its utmost, they need to know that they are experiencing the best of every event they’ve been expecting, but sometimes they are too scared about their world changing to be present when those rituals are happening. At the same time, they are wondering if they will get into college, or into their favorite college, and they often think this is the balancing point of their entire future. This year in particular, they are scared about succeeding because they feel a learning gap from the pandemic, and they wonder if everyone else does too. Meanwhile, their parents are grieving. It is not named as such in our society, so parents don’t know to approach it that way. We are expecting to feel triumphant and proud to have shepherded this human from birth through all of these accomplishments that occur this year, and most certainly, that is how we will appear on social media:. so proud and happy about my newly minted grown-up! Hello world, behold the beauty and accomplishment! Inside, though, grief makes us do funny things. We cling too tight to our seniors or we brush them off too quickly. In my case, I suddenly freeze and become utterly incapable of doing anything simple like packing a lunch, then alternately move into constant unnecessary motion and find myself doing way too much, as if to make up for everything I wish I’d done. As my senior was taking a bow in his very last high school play, I had a Hollywood-style flashback of so many moments in his life, the most memorable of which was holding him one minute after he was born. I want him to stay my baby forever, but I also want him to seize his future. In the 940 Saturdays that happen between birth and leaving for college, did I take every chance to lean into the privilege of being part of his life? There are 25 left now. How will I make sure those are all perfect? These are the ridiculous questions that go through my mind. The truth is it’s all been perfect, and it will all continue to be perfect. My child has roots that grew into wings this year. It’s humbling, shocking, frightening, gratifying and beautiful, all at the same time. Lisa Catterall teaches STEAM, math, science, and art at Mount Madonna School and is a senior associate of the Centers for Research on Creativity. She lectures and trains teachers and administrators on innovation in education in Beijing, China. Lisa has five children and lives in Santa Cruz County. Read More Parenting Articles

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Local News

growingupsc — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 17:19:39 +0000

The Fentanyl Epidemic Hits Santa Cruz by suki wessling “My son did not want to die, I know that,” Véniel says. “Most of the people who take it don’t want to die. They’re being murdered.” The Fentanyl Epidemic Hits Santa Cruz Fentanyl overdoses mainly happen to homeless drug addicts Fentanyl overdoses happen to people who knew they were taking a dangerous substance Opioid abuse isn’t as big a problem in Santa Cruz County as methamphetamines If you answered “true” to any of those myths, it’s not surprising. Most parents in Santa Cruz have no idea of the crisis that has been happening quietly behind the front doors of homes from Pajaro to SLV. Most parents have no idea that while significant progress has been made with opioid addicts from the last wave (largely older adults who got hooked on legal prescription drugs), a new crisis has hit our younger population. Growing Up hopes that you will read this article and the accompanying resources to understand what is happening, and then take steps to protect those around you. A sudden, steep rise Young people in Santa Cruz are dying in a wave of fentanyl-laced street drugs in never-before-seen numbers. Between Jan. 2020 and Sept. 2021, four teens and 10 people in their twenties died—mostly in private homes spread all around the county. Since September, families report several more teen/young adult deaths as yet uncompiled by the county. Though that number is still dwarfed by the number of middle-aged, mostly white male victims, it is an alarming and steep rise from a time when fentanyl was only an issue for hardcore users. “When we started in 2015, the majority of the opioid epidemic was prescription-related opioids, so that was somewhat of a more manageable problem,” says Rita Hewitt, Program Manager of SafeRx, which partners with the County to address addiction and treatment. Hewitt, who has lost four friends to the current epidemic, says that methamphetamines were a bigger problem in the past, but epidemiologists saw the wave coming, and now that wave is cresting. The combination of isolation caused by the pandemic, inadequate mental health resources for young people, and sudden availability of cheap narcotics flooding in from Mexico is causing drug treatment whiplash for everyone involved in policy in our county, from the sheriff’s department to treatment counswelors. What’s going on with our kids? The biggest drug use issues seen in kids are with what they perceive as prescription medications. They are often more casual about these drugs than they would be about a perceived street drug like heroin. They see their parents taking prescriptions, and know that doctors prescribe them. But recently the County of Sacramento found that 99% of the realistic-looking prescription meds for sale on the street were counterfeit, and 99% of them contained fentanyl no matter how they were marked. Some young people have always sought out drugs as pleasure activities, but mental health professionals say that the pandemic has led to a rise in depression and anxiety that is going untreated. Without access to treatment, or because they are trying to hide it from their families, many of the young people harmed by fentanyl are seeking well-known pharmaceuticals like Xanax. Sophie Véniel, whose young adult son died early this year, says that we need a change of language. “All the media are calling it an overdose,” she points out. “So [people think], it’s OK, this is a junkie, he got an overdose, he deserved it. He knew what he was getting into. But that’s not what’s going on. It’s poison that’s added.” Véniel’s son, who suffered from anxiety but was given inadequate care by his local health provider when he sought help, took half a Xanax that he bought from a dealer. The pill looked exactly like the official ones from the pharmacy. But it was laced with poison: a lethal dose of fentanyl. He died in his sleep, with no one to notice that he was unresponsive. Why are they killing their customers? This is the question that everyone immediately asks about the Mexican drug cartels sending lethal drugs across the border. But the answer is, the deaths are only a byproduct of a marketing decision. Fentanyl is very cheap to make. It also creates an instant high and almost immediate addiction. And the doses are so small, one baggie of the drug is enough to kill every resident of Santa Cruz County. Last year the DEA seized enough fentanyl to kill every American. It is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine and a dose the size of a grain of sand can be fatal. It’s a cold-blooded business decision to spike pills with fentanyl: The customers who don’t die get hooked on a cheap and plentiful drug, and they want more. What are local authorities doing about it? No one is sitting idly by, it turns out. Top on the list was to prevent deaths as quickly as possible, and that means that every first responder, along with many others from school nurses to pharmacies, are supplied with naloxone, the opioid reversal medication that can save lives with a squirt into the nose. “If it were not for Narcan, [the death rate] would be much higher,” says Joyce Blaschke of the Santa Cruz Police Department. “SCPD Officers, SCFD and medics have been able to reverse the overdose by administering naloxone.” The County Sheriff is most often the first responder, and they’ve been busy around the county not only saving lives, but coordinating with others to educate residents about the risks and the appropriate use of Narcan. County Health Services Agency reports 199 overdoses reversed using Narcan from January through August, 2021. “I’m working with the schools to get cases [of Narcan] on campus there,” says Hewit, of SafeRX. She hopes that soon students will be able to request the medication at school, but in the meantime, she says that SafeRx and she personally will get it to anyone who thinks they might need it. The state now requires that all pharmacies give out Narcan on request. On top of treatment, authorities are stepping up monitoring the pipelines getting the drugs into the community, and prosecuting more aggressively. If someone provides a substance containing fentanyl to someone who dies as a result, the provider can be charged with murder, as a teen was recently in San Jose. What are the myths we need to watch out for? Despite rumors, there are currently no documented cases of fentanyl-laced marijuana sold to unsuspecting customers. Although there have been overdoses due to this mode of ingestion, they all appeared to be created by the consumer. There are no “safe sources” of drugs on the black market. Anti-anxiety and pain pill prescriptions should be filled only at pharmacies. You can’t build up a tolerance to lethal doses of fentanyl. Although committed opioid users do not suffer overdoses at the rate of new users, a lethal dose is lethal to anyone. Fentanyl test strips are highly unreliable and offer a false sense of security. Users should assume that any pill they take contains fentanyl and they are at risk of an overdose. What more can we do? Véniel, whose son William, 27, died several weeks ago, says that parents and educators need to open their eyes to how young people are finding out about and accessing these lethal drugs. They no longer have to go out to a dark street corner. “The deals are made on social media,” she says. “Somebody can show up at your door within 10 minutes. Parents find their child dead in their room.” Old-fashioned anti-drug programs, says Hewitt, are counterproductive. “I was a D.A.R.E. child in the nineties and we all know that wasn’t an effective method. I think it just comes down to open and honest communication.” That communication should include factual information presented not as scare tactics or shaming, and a family commitment to being open to questions and discussion. “We encourage [parents] to not only talk to [children] about the dangers, but come up with a game plan or response if they’re offered narcotics,” says Ashley Keehn of the County Sheriff’s Office. These days, “Just Say No” is nowhere near enough. “My son did not want to die, I know that,” Véniel says. “Most of the people who take it don’t want to die. They’re being murdered.” Recognize an Overdose Drowsiness, unresponsive, blue lips and fingernails, clammy skin, decreased heart rate. WHEN IN DOUBT, ADMINISTER NAXOLONE AND CALL 911. Protection Starts with Education and Conversation Have some frank discussions with your children today. Research shows over and over that nonjudgmental, open conversation with children is the best way to keep them from harm. We parents have no trouble talking with our kids about the dangers of running into busy streets or eating junk food. But we have a lot more trouble having those same conversations about sensitive topics like sex and drugs. Unfortunately, we have to have those conversations. In age-appropriate ways, our children need to learn how to navigate the world they’re in, not the world we wish they were in. Scare tactics and shaming always backfire …Yet we all fall victim to it. Resist this impulse and if you do find yourself doing it, apologize to your children and explain what you did wrong. Normalize conversation Families who regularly talk about difficult topics have an easier time talking about difficult topics. Make a habit of bringing up important issues at times that make sense for your family, whether it’s a formal family meeting time or commute time in the car. Ask them questions… and listen For all you know, your child has been wanting to tell you something but was frightened of your potential reaction. Perhaps they have already taken street drugs, or a friend did and they are concerned. Perhaps they heard a rumor and are confused but don’t know where to turn for good information. “What do you need from me?” is always a good place to start when your child expresses concern. Tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth Lying about or inflating dangers will lead your children not to trust you. Right now, the actual facts are scary enough. Seek professional help if you are in over your head If you know or fear that your child is buying street drugs and you feel unable to help them, get help for yourself. Call one of the resources in our list, enlist the help of a friend or your own medical professional, and don’t feel that you have to suffer alone. Protection Starts with Education and Conversation There is no safe dose of fentanyl that is administered outside of a hospital. It is never safe to use medication prescribed for someone else. A grain of fentanyl the size of a poppyseed can kill you. Almost all street drugs now contain fentanyl. Always assume that a pill you didn’t pick up yourself from the pharmacy is not what it’s labeled to be. Young people in Santa Cruz County are dying because they took a pill that contained fentanyl. It doesn’t matter if you know the person who gave it to you. All street drugs should be assumed to be lethal. Fentanyl test strips sometimes work. But they often don’t, either because the drug maker changed the formula slightly or because the part of the pill being tested doesn’t contain the grain of fentanyl. All households should have Narcan/naloxone on hand, even if the whole family knows that they will never use it. Everyone in the household should know where it is stored, and know the warning signs of an opioid overdose. It will not hurt someone to administer Narcan if they have not overdosed. You should always call 911 immediately after administering Narcan because the person who overdosed is likely to relapse a short time after being revived. If your children know others who are using street drugs or stealing their parents’ prescription...

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