The fentanyl epidemic has shattered countless lives across Oregon and now it has started to directly affect children younger than 6 through direct exposure to the drug.

The Oregon Poison Center at Oregon Health & Science University reported a sharp uptick in young children exposed to fentanyl in the state. The center managed 16 cases of illicit fentanyl exposure in children younger than 6 this past year, up from two in 2021 and none in 2020.

Many health care professionals and providers in Northeast Oregon have said early childhood exposures to fentanyl is not something they’ve had happen within their counties. Umatilla County appears to be the outlier, having managed a pair of serious cases of early childhood exposure to fentanyl.

Steve Hardin, the senior manager for the emergency room at St. Anthony Hospital, Pendleton, said the hospital has experience in dealing with early childhood exposures to fentanyl.

“Yes, we had two children that had to be shipped out on Narcan continuous drips,” he said.

Hardin said there are unique challenges in treating children who have been exposed to fentanyl.

“In children you do not have to worry about them being addicted, so you don’t have to worry about the patient going into withdrawal,” he said. “Also, due to their small size, their level of exposure is much greater than an adult, so it takes a very large dose of Narcan to reverse the opioid.”

Shelly Cutler, senior specialist in marketing and communications for Saint Alphonsus Medical Center-Baker City, said it isn’t something the hospital has had to deal with.

“Thankfully, we haven’t had any cases at Saint Alphonsus in Baker,” she said.

Jessica Winegar, a public health administrator for Community Counseling Solutions in John Day, said childhood exposure to fentanyl isn’t something that has happened in Grant Country that she is aware of.

A spokesperson for Grande Ronde Hospital, La Grande, said the hospital doesn’t have any information about the subject.

Jonathan Modie, the Oregon Health Authority’s public health communications representative, said early childhood exposure to fentanyl is not something the agency tracks.

Oregon Heath & Science University senior media relations specialist Nicole Rideout said the poison center at OHSU is the public agency tasked with tracking early childhood fentanyl exposures on a statewide level. The poison center then shares that information with the Oregon Health Authority and county agencies, according to Rideout.

Poison center sees the rise

The poison center at OHSU has been tracking early childhood exposures to fentanyl since 2016 and published a report due to concerns over rising early childhood fentanyl exposures.

“I can’t speak for everyone at the institution, but certainly those at OPC and the OHSU providers who are in the weeds of this public health crisis are extremely concerned about this increase,” Rideout said. “This concern is precisely why OPC chose to publish this report, promote the findings and share key strategies to prevent opioid overdoses.”

OHSU specifically excluded early childhood exposures that occurred as a result of prescribed drugs, so all of the cases outlined in the report are the result of illicit exposures, Rideout said.

Union County commissioner sees effects

Union County Commissioner Paul Anderes has seen the effects of the ongoing fentanyl epidemic firsthand. A former teacher, Anderes said during a March meeting with Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek he knows of at least six of his former students who have died due to overdoses.

Anderes said he believes the passage of Measure 110 in November 2020 has made the fentanyl epidemic worse as well as contributing to the rise in early childhood fentanyl exposures.

“I have zero doubt,” he said.

Anderes also questions just how many cases of childhood exposure there truly were in the state. The commissioner said he doesn’t doubt there were 16 cases managed by the Oregon Poison Center, but he believes the total number of exposures is likely much higher.

“Part of it for me, when you think about it, those are the ones that were reported and (we) know about,” he said. “How many were either diagnosed differently or in different places and didn’t get recorded in that specific manner?

“I don’t doubt that there were 16, but I would suggest that there’s significantly more than that.”

The recent repeal and reform of Measure 110 will go a long way toward helping deal with the fentanyl epidemic in Oregon, according to Anderes. But in addition, he said something needs to be done to stem the flow of the drug into Oregon communities.

“Our drug laws need to be strengthened even more than they have been in the last legislative session,” he said. “I also think that we need to work on the supply side … really work on having a concentrated, concerted effort to eliminate the supply coming into our communities.”

Anderes said he knows the cost of a fentanyl pill in Union County is a mere $1, putting the powerful drug within reach of even the most economically challenged.

Along with stemming the flow of drugs into Oregon, Anderes said the state needs strong treatment programs that are widely available along with relaying to the public that they can’t trust their dealer due to the prevalence of fentanyl in other illicit drugs such as methamphetamine and cocaine.

Preventing and treating exposure

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid and can be prescribed by a doctor for pain management along with being illegally manufactured and consumed recreationally. The Oregon Poison Center at Oregon Health & Science University said the best way to prevent fentanyl exposure in children is to keep potentially harmful substances, including fentanyl, locked up and out of reach.

The poison center also advises anybody who uses or knows somebody who uses illicit drugs to carry multiple doses of the opioid reversal drug naloxone. Naloxone can be obtained at Oregon pharmacies without a prescription.

Signs somebody has been exposed to fentanyl and is experiencing an overdose include: small, constricted pupils that are the size of a pinpoint; pale, bluish skin; foaming at the mouth or vomiting; slow and shallow breathing; and appearing sleepy or losing consciousness.

OHSU advises calling 911 right away if someone is not conscious, not breathing or if naloxone has been administered.

Medical experts at OHSU’s Oregon Poison Center can help individuals who are experiencing unwanted symptoms after ingesting pills or taking illicit substances. For help call 800-222-1222.