North Texas family mourns teen who died of suspected fentanyl poisoning – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

The DEA's Dallas office said efforts to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl continue.

This came after a North Texas family spoke out about the sudden loss of their teenage son.

The past tense never fits a parent describing their child. Robbie Stovall said every part of his son Chance still feels so present.

“He was full of joy, always cheerful, very athletic and very outgoing,” Stovall said.

“Seeing pictures of my son, walking into his room and he's not there. It's heartbreaking.”

Stovall and his wife lost their eldest child just 10 days ago. The father of three said the hospital where Chance was rushed on Feb. 1 said the high school student had died of fentanyl poisoning.

“You know there's a problem nationally, but you don't know how big the problem is until it hits you personally,” Stovall said.

Eduardo Chavez is special agent in charge of DEA Dallas

“Fentanyl is the deadliest drug I've ever seen in my career,”

Chavez said more is known about the drug's lethality in North Texas, but the packaging of fentanyl in a form that looks like something else still raises concerns among law enforcement.

“Pills and tablets are very disarming for our society,” Chavez said.

In recent months, there have been several high-profile arrests and convictions of dealers in North Texas who sold fentanyl-laced pills to high school students.

“It's in every school and every neighborhood,” Chavez said.

Stovall said he doesn't know how his son got a pill laced with fentanyl, but he believes he was simply experimenting, a mistake he said his son will never learn from.

He hopes that by sharing his family's grief and Chance's story, he can save at least one life.

“If it takes losing my son to help another family, then that's what we have to do now,” Stovall said.

WHAT IS FENTANYL?

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.

Without laboratory testing, it is impossible to know how much fentanyl is in a pill or powder. If you come across fentanyl in any form, do not touch it and call 911 immediately.

Fentanyl remains the deadliest drug threat facing this country. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 107,622 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2021, 66% of which were related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

Drug poisoning is the leading cause of death among Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. Fentanyl available in the United States is primarily supplied by two criminal drug networks: the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG).

WHAT IS RAINBOW FENTANYL?

In August 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public advisory about the alarming emerging trend of colorful fentanyl becoming available nationwide.

Brightly colored fentanyl, also referred to in the media as “rainbow fentanyl,” is being seized in various forms, including pills, powder, and blocks that resemble sidewalk chalk.

“Rainbow fentanyl — fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes and sizes — is a deliberate attempt by drug traffickers to fuel addiction among children and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “The men and women of the DEA are working tirelessly to stop the rainbow fentanyl trade and defeat the Mexican drug cartels that are responsible for the vast majority of fentanyl trafficked into the United States.”

Despite claims that certain colors may be more potent than others, there is no indication from the DEA’s lab tests that this is the case. The DEA said that any color, shape or size of fentanyl should be considered extremely dangerous.

Drug Enforcement Administration officials are warning of fentanyl in bright colors, sometimes resembling sidewalk chalk or candy.