Fentanyl forums scheduled: 'It's our responsibility to educate,' says Savannah CNT leader

"We absolutely are making fentanyl a priority when it comes to our enforcement operations. We get wind of anything fentanyl related and the troops are out the door, trying to hunt it down," CNT Director Michael Sarhatt told the Chatham County Commission last month.

Credit: United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Credit: United States Drug Enforcement Administration

As overdoses involving the synthetic and inexpensive opioid become more frequent across the county, CNT is rolling out a series of educational awareness programs to the public.

The first event will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at Islands High School. Information on future events will be announced at a later date.

“This will be the first of several that we're going to run across the county. We're going to start on the east side and we're going to move west. We're going to get that word out and try and educate and get everybody aware of what this problem is,” Sarhatt said during a recent press conference announcing the program.

The program will educate on the difference between fentanyl and other drugs, addiction and the dangers of opioids. A panel of local law enforcement officials will also be available to answer questions.

Credit: Chatham County

Credit: Chatham County

Thursday’s event is open to the public, and Sarhatt stressed the importance of parents becoming educated on dangers of fentanyl.

“I think there's a lot of people out there, a lot of parents out there who don't understand it… So it's upon us, it's our responsibility to educate and have them become aware of the situation,” he said.

Katie Nussbaum is the city and county government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. Contact her at knussbaum@savannahnow.com. Twitter: KnussSMN

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Fentanyl forums scheduled: 'It's our responsibility to educate,' says Savannah CNT leader