Members of The 1:11 Project brought a warning to Crockett Middle School students Friday about the dangers of fentanyl.
Speaking with posters of youngsters who have passed away from the drug around them, they emphasized that even the tiniest amount can kill you. Those who spoke had children or loved ones who had died from taking the drug, or been addicted to it.
Principal Noe Oritz said The 1:11 Project spoke to sixth-graders when school started and was back Friday to speak to seventh- and eighth-graders.
Eighth-Grade Assistant Principal TC Hughes said whether you’re experimenting or you are a chronic user it has the same effect on the body.
Students might not know fentanyl is in another drug that they’re taking. For example, they might think they’re experimenting with marijuana, but it’s laced with fentanyl.
“One time. That’s all it takes and these are good kids who made bad choices, and unfortunately, aren’t able to recover from that bad mistake,” Hughes said.
“Here at Crockett Middle School, through the vision of Principal Ortiz, we want to begin a fight against fentanyl. This is a crisis that is impacting the entire community. As we all know, indifference to the problem, in many ways, is an endorsement of the problem, so again, this is our effort to join the collaborative fight against fentanyl,” he added.
“This community crisis at hand has made a bold declaration that it (fentanyl) will not stop and so we have to combat that head on, collectively with multi layers. One of those layers is Crockett Middle School partnering with The 1:11 Project, who hold impactful, insightful and informative workshops, to speak to our students about life choices and drug prevention,” Hughes said.
The 1:11 Project Founder Michelle Watson lost her son, Malachi, 20, to fentanyl. He had a son, Watson’s grandson, who spends lots of time with his grandmother, who everybody calls G.
“Malachi was an awesome kid. He was funny. He was smart. He was very unique. He loved fashion. He loved music. He even has music on Apple Music. How cool is that?” Watson told an audience of seventh graders. “So I’ll forever be able to hear his voice.”
After Malachi died, Watson knew she wanted to do awareness education to “help save kids.”
“I realized that 1 in 11 kids and every 11 minutes someone’s dying, so we just tied it all together, but it started with my family,” Watson said.
She started The Project 1:11 in November 2022, but the vision came from the day of Malachi’s funeral, Aug. 6, 2020.
“I was just angry. That day of his funeral, I remember standing there and looking out and seeing all these people. And I’m like, half of these people don’t understand that this can happen to them. He was only 20 years old. … He has a baby. Now this baby has to grow up without his dad and that’s heartbreaking. There’s a lot of kids in fatherless homes, but for him to never be in his life, it’s difficult. I just want to save kids. That’s it. … Until the day I die, I want to save kids,” Watson said.
Her advice to young people is go with your first instinct.
You know deep down that you don’t want to do this and if you’re struggling, or if you feel like you’re tempted, just get help. First talk to your parents, talk to your teachers, talk to us. We’re here. We can help, but just don’t do it. Don’t even try it because you’re going to get addicted to it and then it’s going to be a problem,” Watson said.
