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.

There is a lot of anticipation surrounding Arizona’s preseason practices as they get ready to take on New Mexico for their 2024-25 season opener that ushers in a new era.

Not only are the Wildcats competing in the Big 12 for the first time, but they also have a new head coach in charge after Brent Brennan took over for the departed Jedd Fisch.

Coming off their 10-win season and victory over Oklahoma in the Valero Alamo Bowl, the hope is this group can have similar success since many of their star players stayed with the program instead of departing in the transfer portal.

Star quarterback Noah Fifita should be able to lead another high-powered offense, especially when their elite wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan returns to the practice field following the injury he suffered in the spring.

Beyond the passing attack, though, there are some questions about how this running game might look following the departures of their three leading rushers.

On paper, it looks like the Wildcats might have actually gotten deeper at this position, bringing in New Mexico transfer Jacory Croskey-Merritt who ran for 1,190 yards and 17 touchdowns and San Jose State transfer Quali Conley who had 842 yards and nine scores on the ground.

Conley is familiar with the offense that Brennan wants to run, so that should help this group pick up on the concepts quicker than they otherwise would. It could give the senior an edge when it comes to being named the starter.

But it sounds like Arizona isn’t going to go with a traditional approach to their running back room.

Brian J. Pederson of Arizona Desert Swarm reports they are expected to “heavily rotate” different players across the position with the idea of potentially featuring all five of their scholarship backs in games throughout the year.

There will certainly be competition to see if someone can earn the majority of the workload, and holdover Rayshon ‘Speedy’ Luke will try to have a good showing in camp to build upon his 153 yard and one touchdown output last season in a reserve role.

While Conley might have the edge in terms of knowing the offense and having a familiarity with the coaching staff, that isn’t stopping newcomer Croskey-Merritt from trying to win the job and pushing the room to be at their best.

“Every day we’re competing to get better. We’re competing to be one of the best running back rooms in the nation,” he said.

Brennan was able to feature a strong rushing attack during his last year at San Jose State, getting the Spartans to average 184.1 yards per contest that ranked them 31st out of all Division I teams.

Adding an explosive running game to pair with Fifita and McMillan through the air should help Arizona get off to a good start in this new era of their program.

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Despite this year’s July not being quite as hot as last year’s record heat, the Arizona Burn Center said it’s been treating a lot of contact burn patients this summer.

The Valleywise clinic has seen up to 25% more patients compared to last year, and it’s still trying to figure out why.

So far, the Arizona Burn Center has reported the following:

• 75 to 85 admissions to inpatient clinic
• Several times the amount of inpatient admissions in its outpatient clinic
• Six people died from contact burn injuries

According to director Dr. Kevin Foster, the clinic has treated a lot of people who have fallen to the ground on their backs. Dr. Foster said there’s also been an increase in treating older men, who are mostly unhoused, and their ages range from 60 to 90 years old.

“We’re anticipating that we will probably have about 150 or 160 patients total who will require hospitalization, and I’m hoping we don’t hit the same number of deaths that we had, but we’re certainly heading in that direction unfortunately,” he said.

Dr. Foster told Arizona’s Family there has always been a misunderstanding about hot surfaces and the severity of contact burns. With more extreme heat ahead this weekend, Dr. Foster said it’s important to remember this when being outside.

“In Arizona, where we have bright direct sunlight and really hot temperatures, that’s sort of a perfect storm to make surfaces hot, and you know black asphalt on a hot July afternoon in Phoenix, Arizona, can reach 170, even 180 degrees, which is a few degrees below boiling,” he said.

Dr. Foster said contact burns are completely preventable, and it’s important to know some tips to stay safe:

• Stay inside during peak hours
• Know where your loved ones are at all times
• Be aware of metal door knobs exposed to sunlight
• Don’t use playground equipment if not shaded
• Cool down the car before driving
• Avoid alcohol and other substances in the heat
• Wear light, loose-fitted clothing, durable shoes and sunblock to protect your skin
• Stay hydrated

If you or a loved one has burn injuries that are bigger than your palm or too severe for you to handle, call 911, and first responders will take you to the Arizona Burn Center for treatment.

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