Snapchat and Fentanyl

Earlier this year, Amy Neville, a mother from San Diego, testified before lawmakers regarding a tragedy that occurred in her life back in June 2020. Neville had gone into her fourteen-year-old son’s bedroom to wake him up so that they would make it to an orthodontist appointment on time. She was shocked to find her son Alex unresponsive. He had died from a fentanyl overdose. How did this happen? Neville told lawmakers that her son Alex had taken a counterfeit pill laced with illicit Fentanyl. He had purchased the pill online through a contact made in a Snapchat video. In August of last year, Snapchat launched a tool for parents called the Family Center, which allows parents to monitor their child’s Snapchat activity. Still, this story serves as one more example of not only how our kids are targeted in dangerous ways, but also their vulnerability to these targets. Parents, if you have allowed a smartphone in the hands of your kids, borders and boundaries are necessary protections.