PHOENIX — A silent killer is becoming more popular in Valley communities. The Drug Enforcement Administration is calling fentanyl the single deadliest drug threat our Nation has ever encountered.
Fentanyl is a very addictive synthetic opioid, and drug poisonings, the DEA said, are the leading killer of Americans between ages 18 and 45.
A Gilbert family knows the pain of loss due to fentanyl. The holidays are an especially tough time of year for the Mahan's, because they're going into another season with an empty seat at their table and a hung stocking that will remain empty.
For thousands of days and even more hours, football consumed Danny Mahan’s life, and he had a family that loved him too. His parents, Terry and Annette Mahan, remembered their son, a star athlete with friends and offers to play college football.
“He was my best friend," his mom, Annette, said. "You know, every parent says that about their children. All my children are my best friend.”
But it only took a matter of days for Danny’s life to be consumed by a new and silent addiction.
“It had him and he could not get away from it for a day," his dad, Terry, said. Danny's parents said he began taking pain pills to help him sleep better. It turned into an addiction so dangerous not even a stay at a Prescott rehab could keep him away.
In 2019, a Christmas visit home would be his last.
“While he was back somehow he got a pill, and that was it," Terry said. "So he died on Jan. 3.”
The Mahans said the pill that killed their son was laced with fentanyl. Special Agent Cheri Oz with the DEA in Phoenix said its illicit use is poison, and no community is immune.
“It is everywhere," Oz said. "It is in your schools. It is in your neighborhood. It is in your community right now.”
It’s even in the quiet suburban streets of Gilbert where the Mahan's still live today.
The Arizona Department of Health Services reported every day in the state, more than five people become victims of opioid overdose and death. So far in 2022 statewide, there have been more than 1400 confirmed opioid deaths.
“We also know that 44 percent of the pills that we seize here contain a lethal dose," Oz said. "Definitely, more than two out of five pills could potentially kill you.”
Oz said in Arizona the DEA is hammering home one single message.
“There is no safe illicit pill to take,” she said.
It’s also a message the Mahan's want all of Arizona to hear and share.
“You’ve got to say you can’t have any pills and every pill in my mind is fake if you’re not seeing the counter at the drug store, it’s fake,” Terry said.
Because for their family, Danny lost to the drug’s deadly dark side.
“This was more of a poisoning, because he didn’t know that the fentanyl, nobody knew the fentanyl in the pill that there was too much in the pill," Annette said.
Too much of a single drug that stole Danny away from his family and his 22nd birthday, which he was just days away from celebrating.
“If you don’t get help quick, you’re going to be in our boat," Terry said. "You’re going to have a child that’s gone.”
A reminder every day, and especially this time of year, how Danny’s loss makes the lights in the Mahan home noticeably dimmer.
In Arizona, both the DEA and notMYkid are battling this deadly drug crisis. A recent survey of Arizona students revealed more than 50 percent of 8th graders had never heard of fentanyl and its dangers. notMYkid CEO, Kristen Polin, was alarmed by the findings.
“To us that is very concerning because we know most substance use starts around the use of 7th to 8th grade where kids begin experimenting," Polin said.
That same survey also revealed one-third of tens of thousands of Arizona students surveyed had never heard of fentanyl either. Polin said it's important to sit down and have conversations with children now.
Make sure they know no pill, if it does not come from a doctor or pharmacy, is safe. Also talk about pain and stress that a lot of kids are experiencing, especially after the pandemic. Illicit pills are not the solution.
Polin encouraged parents to talk to kids about these topics even earlier than elementary school. Share the difference between healthy medicine and dangerous drugs and not to be afraid of the conversations, rather approaching in a safe way that's age appropriate.
The Danny Mahan Foundation is hosting a charity golf tournament on January 7, to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl and drug poisoning.
The DEA and notMYkid have resources online for talking with kids and young adults about the drug epidemic.
>> Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
12News on YouTube
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.