'Saving a Generation' special program aims to put faces on the fentanyl crisis

AUSTIN (Nexstar) - Fentanyl poisonings are killing thousands of people across the country. While recent data shows a decrease in drug deaths, the numbers remain at crisis levels. The deaths highlight the importance of awareness and education to help save lives.

A special program airing Oct. 4 on KXAN and Nexstar stations across the country aims to put faces on this national crisis. "Saving A Generation: The Fentanyl Crisis" tells the stories of families who have lost loved ones and turned that pain into action to help save others.

Janel Rodriguez, a mom in Hays County, Texas, lost her 15-year-old son Noah to the drug. He took a pill, not realizing it was laced with fentanyl. Noah was at a sleepover when Janel got the call that he was not breathing. She raced to get to the home, but her own mother got there first.

"We get to the scene and I'm ready to jump out of the car and go inside to be with him," Janel said. "But my mom approaches me and she's standing about five feet in front of me, just staring at me. And she puts her head down and shakes her head."

Pain into purpose

Janel went from planning an epic 16th birthday party for her son to planning his funeral. She and her husband Brandon now work to prevent other parents from going through similar pain, founding the Forever 15 Project. Its goal is to spread awareness and provide resources for people at risk from fentanyl. An image on the project's main webpage shows Janel weeping over Noah's casket at his funeral.

The work of parents turning their pain into purpose is making a difference. In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Angela Kennecke lost her adult daughter Emily to fentanyl poisoning. Kennecke, a former news anchor, founded the non-profit Emily's Hope. The charity raises money to get people into treatment and recovery. Kennecke says education may be the most important part of the mission.

"Our gold star is our substance use prevention curriculum for grades K through five," Kennecke said, noting that the lessons are currently being used in four states. "All of these things that kids need to learn, and what substances do to the brain and how to protect their bodies and brains."

'Not arresting our way out'

The special also looks at the law enforcement side of the crisis. The Drug Enforcement Administration is on the front lines when it comes to seizing fentanyl coming into the country. Our team visited the DEA drug vault in Dallas, where drugs seized by federal agencies from five states are sent to be tested. The vault houses more than 50,000 pieces of evidence. The test results can help put dealers behind bars.

But some in the DEA acknowledge the limits of law enforcement when it comes to fighting fentanyl.

"We're not arresting our way out of this problem," explained Special Agent Matthew Allen, with the DEA's Los Angeles division. Allen said the DEA is now concentrating on education and harm reduction.

"The stigma of drug addiction -- we have to get rid of that," Allen said.

Special Agent Daniel Comeaux, with the Houston division of the DEA credits expanded law enforcement efforts, along with harm reduction and education, for lowering the numbers of drug deaths.

"Every single parent should talk to their kids about this right now, because it's not necessarily, say, a drug dealer that will push this pill on it. It could be their best friend. It could be their peer. And if you don't have those types of conversations with the kids, they might think nothing of it," Comeaux said.