KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. He learned about this story on his beat covering Independence. Share your story idea with Tod.
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No segment of society has been immune from the fentanyl crisis in recent years, but two Fort Osage students are hoping to make a difference.
Juniors Rylee Bolt and Nick Etzenhouser, who both study in the hands-on Fort Connect program, worked with the Independence Health Department on an awareness campaign.
“My friend passed away two years ago now from a fentanyl overdose, and, not even a month later, another kid that my cousin knew passed away from the same thing,” Bolt said.
Etzenhouser added, "Everybody's got a little bit of an experience with it.”
Fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths in Missouri and the biggest killer of young adults.
“Drug-related overdose is actually the leading cause of death for Missourians age 18 to 44,” said Halie Smith-Griffin, a public health specialist with the Independence Health Department. "So it’s a really big issue.”
Smith-Griffin oversaw the awareness campaign, helping guide Etzenhouser and Bolt as they designed a series of billboards about the fentanyl crisis.
“The aim of the project is to prevent more opioid-related overdose deaths, bring awareness to the issue, reduce stigma and give hope to people who may be currently struggling,” she said.
It’s the second year for the project, which is funded through a Jackson County COMBAT grant.
Bolt designed a billboard, which is located on the left side of Truman Road heading west near Sterling Avenue, that encourages people to “live above the influence” and make decisions that are best for them rather than following the crowd.
“I hope that it sends a sense of there is help, and there are people that understand and aren't shaming you,” Bolt said.
Etzenhouser designed a billboard that depicts a small amount of fentanyl on the tip of a sharpened pencil, hoping people will understand the drug’s lethality. It can be seen on the left side of North Noland Road between Truman Road and U.S. 24.
“If one person decides to get off of it because they’ve seen one of my billboards, that would be more than enough to make me feel happy,” Etzenhouser said.
They worked together on one about the lifesaving benefits of Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, which is an over-the-counter medication that can quickly reverse the effects of opioid overdose and save lives.
“Getting the word out there and keep spreading it — that’s the only thing you can do,” Etzenhouser said.
The students’ third billboard can be seen on the right side of U.S. 24 heading west near Forest Avenue.
“If it helps even just one person, it creates a ripple effect of positive change everywhere,” Smith-Griffin said.
Narcan is available for free at the Independence Health Department.
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