社交媒体和互联网上对芬太尼的恐慌让许多家长感到担忧, 这让他们担心他们的孩子或青少年在不知情的情况下服用药物并最终生病或更糟, dead.

Meghan Martin, M.D., an emergency medicine physician and Jennifer Katzenstein博士，ABPP-CN，行为健康中心联合主任, both weigh in on what they’re actually seeing in their daily practices, what families should know about fentanyl and other drugs, and how to talk to your kids and teens about the topic.

What is fentanyl?

马丁:芬太尼是一种合成阿片类药物，对控制疼痛非常有效. 它比吗啡等其他止痛药(阿片类药物)强得多, but this is a very commonly used medicine in the emergency department. The purpose is for pain control in situations like broken bones, sickle cell disease and kids who are involved in trauma-type accidents. It is relatively short-acting in clinical situations, 所以在短时间内评估推荐十大正规网赌平台的疼痛程度是很好的, whereas morphine lasts a little bit longer.

Street fentanyl is a completely different product, 这种药物不受监管，通常是从墨西哥等其他地方进口的，或者是在实验室里制造的. When people use illegal or recreational drugs, it could be cut or laced with fentanyl, which is one of the reasons why it’s so dangerous.

你是否看到儿童/青少年在不知情的情况下过量服用芬太尼的趋势在上升?

Martin: I’ve done pediatric medicine for almost a decade, 而且我从来没有——在我所见过的成千上万的案例中——看到过一个孩子被毒贩欺骗服用芬太尼. The myth that drug dealers are handing out candy that is actually drugs, it really is just that — a myth. 彩虹芬太尼看起来像糖果，可能有两个原因:帮助将其走私到美国, so they can hide it in candy wrappers, 它也被用于品牌推广，作为一种鼓励用户再次与该经销商做生意的方式. They’re trying to make money, and most kids don’t have money.

在急救中心(EC)最常见的与毒品有关的事件是什么??

马丁:我见过一些孩子为了娱乐而吸毒，不小心摄入了他们本不想摄入的另一种毒品. 社区里也有孩子死于过量服用阿片类药物, which is a very serious epidemic. 我们也看到孩子不小心从储存不良的娱乐性药物或处方药中进入父母的药物. 年幼的孩子在没有正确储存这些药物的情况下服用这些药物，因此我们确实看到了过量服用, which can be very dangerous. 我们也看到许多年幼的孩子食用THC(大麻)，因为它们看起来像糖果, 但我们并没有看到一群孩子不小心吃了万圣节糖果，结果发现是芬太尼——那些谣言没有发生. 

When should a child be seen in the EC?

马丁:只要你的孩子精神状态有变化，你就应该带他去医院, slurred speech or a child is not acting appropriately. 如果孩子在家里不小心摄入了什么东西，但还没有出现症状，父母也应该有中毒控制的电话号码. The number for poison control is 1-800-222-1222.

What is your advice on safety?

马丁:孩子和蹒跚学步的孩子都很聪明，这一点很重要, and they can sometimes get through safety mechanisms, 因此，父母在储存处方药或食品时应该使用多层安全装置. They should be inside a child lock container and in a high place. For older kids, 父母应该就娱乐性药物和街头药物的危险性以及意外摄入不同药物的风险进行公开对话. 我也见过孩子们把可食用的或其他药片带到学校，分发给他们的朋友.

Are you seeing patients using or struggling with fentanyl?

卡岑斯坦:我们看到年轻人最常参与酒精、烟草和大麻/四氢大麻酚的使用. Fentanyl, however, 是否非常危险，需要家长和青少年继续接受教育，让他们了解孩子可能接触到的所有毒品.

How is mental health related to drug use?

Katzenstein: Mental health and drug use tend to be related, 大量的研究表明，患有未确诊精神疾病的青少年存在吸毒风险, including anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In addition, 大约60%的药物滥用障碍患者也同时患有精神健康诊断. 早期吸毒也与成年后的药物滥用有关.

How can parents talk to their kids about drugs?

卡森斯坦:父母应该意识到他们的孩子可能接触到的所有潜在类型的药物，和我们的孩子谈论避免所有药物是非常重要的. 讨论毒品的种类，以及当他们接触毒品时该说些什么，是一项关键技能. 我们应该提醒孩子，如果感觉不对劲或不太对劲，就告诉我们, 包括如果糖果与包装不匹配，或者包装似乎被篡改了, or already open. 提醒我们的孩子不要从任何人那里服用药物也是很好的, and to not eat or ingest food from strangers. Parents should try to stay calm, 并确保我们的孩子了解他们可能会看到什么以及他们在特定情况下应该做什么. Role playing and practicing saying “no” is also helpful.

How can parents stay connected to their kids and teens?

Katzenstein: The daily talk is a great way to touch base about what is happening at school, 讨论我们在新闻中看到的东西(包括看起来像糖果的药物), and you're getting your kids' reactions. During that time, you can monitor their mood, signs and symptoms of anxiety, and changes in friends and interests, all which may be signs of substance use and/or a mental health concern.