>> WELCOME BACK. WILL FENTANYL IS NOW THE TOP CAUSE OF DEATH AMONG ADULTS IN THE U.S. THE
CDC REPORTS THE DRUG IS BEHIND
MORE DEATHS THAN COVID-19
SUICIDE AND CAR ACCIDENTS. IT
IS RESPONSIBLE FOR AT LEAST
70% OF ALL DRUG DEATHS TAKING
NEARLY 42,000 LIVES IN 2021.
BUT NOW RESEARCHERS ARE
DEVELOPING A SO-CALLED
FENTANYL VACCINE. ESSENTIALLY
IT WOULD BLOCK THE OPIOID FROM
ENTERING THE BRAIN AND
ELIMINATING THE HIGH THAT
COMES ALONG WITH IT. SUSAN
PITTMAN WITH DRUG FREE DUVAL
IS JOINING US THIS MORNING.
LIVE VIA ZOOM IS. THANK YOU SO
MUCH FOR BEING HERE TO TALK
ABOUT THIS VERY IMPORTANT
ISSUE.
>> WELL, THANK YOU. CHANNEL 4
IN 2 TU ASHLEY FOR BEING
WILLING TO TALK ABOUT IT.
ABSOLUTELY. LET’S GET RIGHT TO
IT. CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH
SOME OF THE TRENDS AND
OBSTACLES THAT YOU ALL ARE
SEEING RIGHT NOW HERE LOCALLY.
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY. THE FIRST
IS THE REAL RISE IN THE 14 TO
18 YEAR-OLD AGE COHORT IN
TERMS OF DRUG OVERDOSE DEATH.
AND IT WENT UP 94% IN 2020 AND
ANOTHER 20% IN 2021. THAT HAS
PREDOMINANTLY BEEN KIDS NOT
SEEKING FENTANYL. THEY ARE
FLYING COUNTERFEIT XANAX OR
PURPOSE THAT OR SOMETHING LIKE
THAT. AND IT’S LACED WITH
FENTANYL. SO KIDS DON’T EVEN
KNOW THEY’RE USING FENTANYL.
ANOTHER TREND THAT WE SEE
FENTANYL IS BEING ADDED TO SO
MANY STREET LIKE COCAINE
METHAMPHETAMINE. SO THE BOTTOM
LINE IS PEOPLE ARE OVERDOSING
AND DYING FROM FENTANYL WHO
DON’T EVEN REALIZE THAT
THEY’RE USING FAT, NOT TAKE
SUCH A SMALL, AN AMOUNT AND
I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHERE I’M
YOUR NUMBER. CAME FROM THE
42,000. THAT WAS ACTUALLY A
COUPLE YEARS AGO. THE CDC,
ACTUALLY WE HAD 108,000
PEOPLE, WHICH IS 295 PEOPLE A
DAY DIE IN 2021. FROM DRUG
OVERDOSE OF WHICH YOU ARE
AROUND. 75 TO 80% BASED ON
FENTANYL. YOU KNOW, DO EITHER
PRIMARY CAUSE PRESIDENT DEATH.
AND SO IT’S IT’S A LITTLE BIT
HIGHER THAN THAT. 42,000,
THAT’S ROUGHLY 70 OR 75,000
PEOPLE.
>> IT’S ESSENTIAL YEAH, IT IS
VERY, VERY ALARMING. SO LET’S
TALK ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL
VACCINE. FIRST OFF, WHAT WENT
THROUGH YOUR MIND WHEN YOU
HEARD ABOUT THIS AND WHAT THIS
POTENTIALLY MEAN FOR NORTHEAST
FLORIDA?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL,
DEFINITELY IN THE TESTING
STAGE. AND I DO WANT TO SAY
THERE’S 2 KIND OF NEW
RELEASES. ONE IS OUT OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH I
BELIEVE IS THE STUDY THAT
YOU’RE LOOKING AT, WHICH DOES
BLOCK THE PAIN RECEPTOR, AS
YOU SAID. SO A PERSON WHO
SOMEHOW INGESTED FENTANYL
PURPOSEFULLY OR NOT PURPOSELY
WHEN I’M NOT ACHIEVE THE HIGH
THIS SECOND ONE, WHICH OKAY.
SO HERE’S THE CONCERN. IF YOU
ARE REAL YOU WOULD USE ARE
PRESCRIBED. OPIOID USER WOULD
BLOCK HERE OPIOID RECEPTORS
AND IT DOESN’T WHICH IS REALLY
ENCOURAGING. SO IF A PERSON
WHO IS A PRESCRIBED PAIN
MEDICATION, PATIENT, THEY
WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO USE OF
PRESCRIBED VIEWING AND
RECEIVED THE PAIN RELIEF THAT
THEY’RE LOOKING FOR
LEGITIMATELY THE THE SECOND
ACTION THAT IS BEING LOOKED
AT. ACTUALLY, WE HAVE A
UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA
RESEARCHER WORKING ON IT. IT’S
CONJUNCTION WITH UNIVERSITY OF
FLORIDA WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
AND THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN
CALIFORNIA STARTED LOOKING
DOWN AT THE STUDY RIGHT NOW.
AND IT WAS JUST PUBLISHED IN
NATURE MAGAZINE. BUT IT’S JANE
MCLACHLAN, WHO IS ARE YOU
RESEARCHER? AND I’M SURE WE
COULD GET HIM INVOLVED IN
THIS. IT WOULD BE REALLY THAT
IT DOESN’T DIFFERENT ACTION.
IT ACTUALLY JUST KEEPS
FENTANYL FROM CREATING THE
POTENTIAL ACTION IN YOUR
SYSTEM. SO THEY’RE 2 DIFFERENT
ACTIONS THAT ARE BEING LOOKED
AT. AND THERE’S ACTUALLY WE
HAVE A CALL ON MONDAY WITH
ANOTHER GROUP THAT IS LOOKING
AT NON OPIOID PAIN
MEDICATIONS. THERE ARE SO MANY
EXCITING THINGS ON THE
FOREFRONT FOR PEOPLE BEGIN TO
GET THE PAIN RELIEF THEY NEED.
IF IT’S LEGITIMATE AND YET NOT
HAVE THE RISK OF INGESTING
FENTANYL. SO DIFFERENCE THIS
COULD MAKE, IT COULD SAVE
LIVES RIGHT HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: ALL RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE REALLY