Arizona

Fentanyl is killing children in Arizona at an alarming rate

Published

5 months ago

August 3, 2024

Fentanyl is killing children in Arizona at an alarming rate

Fentanyl-related child deaths on the rise in Arizona

In an alarming new trend in Arizona, children are dying and an increasing rate because of Fentanyl overdoses. FOX 10’s Nicole Krasean has the story.

PHOENIX – A tragic trend is on the rise in Arizona. Children are dying from exposure to fentanyl.

“It is heartbreaking,” said Kenneth McKinley, Director of Childhelp Arizona.

The Arizona Department of Child Safety recorded 34 child deaths due to fentanyl last year. Eight of those children were under the age of five.

“Almost on a weekly basis, I’ll get a call-out that says there’s a three-year-old, a two-year-old, a one-year-old at the emergency room at Phoenix Children’s and they’re administering Narcan,” McKinley said.

Phoenix Police say the rising use of fentanyl is due in part to its low cost.

“Heroin, methamphetamines, they were higher costs. We’re seeing these pills as cheap as 50 cents. So, again, they’re very accessible, they’re very plentiful. Even the residue itself can be fatal,” said sargent Phil Krynsky of Phoenix Police.

“This can be found in locations where kids are supposed to frequent”

Not all cases of exposure come from a household where drug use is happening.

“This can be found in locations where kids are supposed to frequent: parks, or just walking down the street with their parents, sitting at a bus stop. Sometimes individuals that see law enforcement and they ditch whatever drugs that they have, and again, they leave it behind because it’s not that high of a cost and it could be in the grasp of kids,” Krynsky said.

Once the powerful drug is in that grasp, the aftermath of any exposure sticks with families.

Family history of drug use is a contributing factor

“The families – I think – deal with a lot of blame and guilt and shame and that sort of thing and we know that there’s a connection to – even outside of drug exposure – there’s a connection between drug use, family history of drug use, and child abuse,” McKinley added.

Fighting the epidemic includes educating the public and working to break the cycle of drug use in families in every community.

“Getting it out, letting us know, educating our children, and again getting people off the use of these drugs or at least letting them know that one pill that you take or you try could be your last one,” Krynsky says.

Officials encourage people to keep Narcan handy

In Arizona, any licensed pharmacist can distribute Narcan over the counter and it’s widely available through various organizations and agencies.

Officials encourage anyone who knows a drug user to keep Narcan handy in case of an accidental overdose.

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Arizona

Miami Lands Arizona Cornerback From the Transfer Portal

Published

2 hours ago

December 27, 2024

Press Room

Miami Lands Arizona Cornerback From the Transfer Portal

Miami continued to address a major roster need on Thursday as former Arizona cornerback Emmanuel Karnely announced his commitment to the Hurricanes over Ole Miss and Michigan. He visited Miami during the first weekend of the transfer portal after spending time in Oxford, and most recently visiting Ann Arbor.

The 6-foot-3, 185-pounder is considered the No. 6 cornerback and No. 68 overall player in the 247Sports Transfer Portal Rankings.

Karnley, a member of the 2023 recruiting class, has spent the last two seasons at Arizona. This past season, the redshirt freshman became a six-game starter for the Wildcats, only allowing 22 catches on 43 targets for 288 yards with four touchdowns allowed and five pass breakups.

The Canes are also targeting the other side of the room in Tacario Davis which would be great for the growing room. The freshman All-American OJ Frederique Jr. will also still be suiting up for the Canes next season. The depth and talent in the room will continue to grow and perform as Mario Cristobal continues to hit in the portal.

Karnely has three more years of eligibility. Karnley has become the fifth blue-chip transfer addition so far this portal season.

Arizona

Post-holiday rush has Arizona shoppers returning gifts, spending holiday cash

Published

10 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Post-holiday rush has Arizona shoppers returning gifts, spending holiday cash

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Christmas is over, but the stores and malls are busy one day later—shoppers either returning gifts that weren’t quite right or spending some of that holiday cash.

“A lot of the stores we went to, you had to wait in lines just to get from one store to the other,” said Jeannie Mac. “It was pretty busy.”

When you think of holiday shopping, you often think of items flying off the shelves.

“There are a lot of discounts at target, 50% off all decorations. You’d be surprised. The shelves are a little empty,” said shopper Joseph Caruana.

But the day after Christmas, many of those items end up back in-store. This year, returns are expected to add up to 17% of all merchandise sales, according to a recent report by the National Retail Federation. It’s about $890 billion in returned unneeded or unwanted gifts.

However, not everyone was there for returns or exchanges.

“Everyone enjoyed the presents, so didn’t have to return anything, thankfully,” said Max Miely.

Many people Arizona’s Family spoke with were mainly there looking to spend their holiday money, including Jenn Neild, who was visiting from Canada.

“We’re just looking around for some post Christmas deals, Boxing Day deals,” she said.

Boxing Day is traditionally a holiday similar to Black Friday, celebrated in the U.K. and Canada.

It was a good opportunity for shoppers who came out ready to use their holiday gift cards or, in other cases, to claim their Christmas gifts.

“We just went to go get my cousins ear pierced for her Christmas present and we’re going to be shopping for pajamas and different things,” said Morgan Uperesa, another shopper.

Because Dec. 26 and Dec. 27 are historically the busiest days for returns, the Better Business Bureau advises you to bring any receipts to the store.

If you don’t have one, they say you should know the rules on returns without it.

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Arizona

Cardinals RB James Conner Gets Encouraging Update

Published

18 hours ago

December 26, 2024

Press Room

Cardinals RB James Conner Gets Encouraging Update

ARIZONA — Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon says the progress of running back James Conner has been “good” this week as the team prepares to battle the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17.

Gannon, however, wouldn’t elaborate more on Conner and didn’t reveal if he’d play in Saturday night’s primetime battle.

Conner is dealing with a knee injury suffered in the second half of Week 16’s loss to the Carolina Panthers, a 36-30 overtime defeat that saw Arizona’s postseason dreams officially end.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said James Conner’s progression from his knee injury has been “good.”
JG did not go further as to whether or not he’ll be good to go on Saturday.
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— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) December 26, 2024

Conner was a limited participant in the two prior practice days for Arizona and if he is again the same for Thursday, it’s likely he’ll officially be ruled questionable when the injury report drops later today.

“We’ll see how he goes throughout the week. I know he wants to play, so we’ll do what’s best for him first and then what’s best for the team,” Gannon said of Conner earlier this week.

Once again, Conner has been one of Arizona’s top players throughout the course of the season, once again eclipsing the 1,000-yard rushing mark as the engine of the Cardinals’ offense.

The ink just dried on Conner’s two-year extension to stay in Arizona, as the running back was set to test the free agent market before the Cardinals re-signed him earlier in the year.

If he can go, Conner hopes to help play the role of spoiler in Los Angeles, as the Rams can win the NFC West with a victory over Arizona and a little help.

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