KYLE, Texas (KXAN) – The Kyle Police Department said it responded to three fentanyl poisonings on Saturday, resulting in one death.
The three people who were poisoned were between the ages of 18 and 19. The department said one teenager died and the other two are stable. It said two arrests were made in connection with the incident.
“It is Fentanyl Awareness Month, and I think this [incident] makes it more indicative that we need to continuously put information out there and education out there [about fentanyl],” said Ashlee Bradshaw, a community engagement specialist with KPD.
In a Facebook post, the department urged people to be wary of fentanyl-laced pills, which drug dealers might claim to be the pain reliever Percocet. It said the fentanyl-laced pill will often have “M” and “30” stamped into it. Fentanyl can also be found in other counterfeit, illegal substances.
The city of Kyle has ramped up fentanyl awareness campaigns over the last two years. Since 2022, the data shows that the number of people dying from overdoses is dropping.
According to police data, 25 people died from fentanyl overdoses in 2022. In 2023, that number fell to 12. Before the incident, KPD said there were five fentanyl overdose deaths so far in 2024.
The department encouraged families to have conversations about fentanyl with children to educate them on the dangers of the drug.
“Regardless of what the numbers are saying,” Brashaw said, “[the rug] is clearly still in our community, and we need to make every effort to do what we can to eliminate it.”
