Hundreds show up to drug awareness presentation after fatal overdoses




SAMMAMISH, Wash. — Hundreds of students and parents attended a drug and alcohol awareness presentation at Skyline High School Wednesday night.

The event was hosted by the Issaquah School District, and had a lineup of speakers including the Skyline Principal Keith Hennig, King County Medical Examiner Dr. Yarid, King County Sheriff’s Deputy Nate Greiert and Jerry Blackburn of Influence the Choice.

The presentation included education and prevention with material on the dangers, forms and effects of fentanyl. Students and parents in attendance also heard about drug trends and where they can find resources and support.

Since August, two teenagers who attended Skyline died after taking pills laced with fentanyl. The students are Lucas Beirer, 16, and Tom Beatty, 16.

“Lucas was bright, funny, very entertaining,” said parent Holly McIntyre. “We really needed to come together as a community and do more. So I think that what we’re really hoping is that this can be a wake-up call for all of us.”

“It’s been kind of quiet here lately,” said Skyline student Kiley Stewart. “I didn’t know that, like, this was such a big deal, and then I researched and I was like, this is a big deal and people even in other schools are suffering from this.”

Informational booths were laid out in the front lobby of the high school with community contacts and resources ready to answer questions from families.

“Unless a pill is prescribed by a doctor and taken as prescribed and medicated, you really are playing with Russian roulette you don’t know what might happen with that pill or what it’s laced with or what kind of ingredients are in them,” said Sammamish Chief of Police Michelle Bennett.

Seattle and King County Public Health says seven teens have died of fentanyl overdoses this year.

The city and county health agency is getting ready to send new outreach material to King County school districts in the next couple days.

The city of Sammamish is hosting a community forum on teen drug use at Central Washington University on November 7.