COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho — A panel of medical professionals addressed community concerns about the rise of fentanyl use in North Idaho on Thursday.
About 50 people attended to listen to a discussion of “The Escalating Threat of Fentanyl in North Idaho” at North Idaho College, which was put on by the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber, NIC and Kootenai Health.
While the law enforcement side of the battle against fentanyl was discussed during a similar panel in May, Thursday’s panel focused on the impact of fentanyl being seen in North Idaho’s schools and by local medical specialists.
Debbie Critchfield, the superintendent of public instruction in Idaho, described how fentanyl is “the No. 1 issue” many schools in rural Idaho are facing — but many parents still argue that fentanyl isn’t prevalent in the area.
“We have to have our parents, our community on board,” said Critchfield. Currently, Critchfield’s office is conducting a survey in communities across the state to better assess what is needed to combat fentanyl in Idaho schools.
An agreement has also been reached with Idaho State Police to hold informational events in school districts and communities that request them.
“We can’t expect student behavior to change unless we change the behavior of the adults,” said Critchfield. So far, three Idaho school districts have requested such events.
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