Rocio Villalobos 
Palmview- Between 2014 to 2016, fentanyl-related deaths doubled each year, with fatalities among the Hispanic population increasing at an annual rate of 118 percent.
This information comes from a report by the National Vital Statistics System examining 5 years of drug overdose deaths across the country.
The report also determined that the largest rate of increase is among those between the ages of 15 and 34.
“You look at the curiosity of what it is to get high, or what it is to get drunk. Then you end up in an age group where a lot of people around you are experimenting,” said Reset Counseling Clinical Director Mariano Resendez Jr.
The outpatient counseling center specializes in ages 12 to 17, but Resendez said they have admitted children in elementary school.
While there are misconceptions of what a drug addict looks like, Resendez said addiction can only be defined by: having withdrawals from the drug, a tolerance for it and being affected in one’s day to day living.
“We do a lot of lecture through our curriculum that we use,” he said. “And then we also use everyday activities that get these kids understanding that it is very possible that you can hang out with kids your age and we’re not high today.”
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