Protecting the island and most especially our youth from the opioid epidemic. Senators today in session discussing a bill that would arm more in our community to be able to distribute the medication that combats an overdose. The topic also resurfacing the situation at a local middle school this week that led to two students getting sick.

A deadly drug that is keeping law enforcement across the nation on their toes. Senator Chris Barnett said, "Fentanyl is already here. We were privy to a high level briefing from a high level authorities about fentanyl and it was very alarming."

Senators in the 37th Guam Legislature in session friday. First up is Speaker Therese Terlaje’s Bill 10 known as the Guam Opioid Overdose Protection Act of 2023. It would authorize law enforcement, first responders, community based organizations and school personnel to administer naloxine, the medication to fight off a drug overdose.

"We on Guam are trying to save the lives before we have the epidemic that plaguing ever state in the nation including Hawaii," she said.

The measure received overwhelming support from local health and public safety officials. Guam Behavioral Health has since had a grant program in place to get the medication here and conduct the training on its use.

Senator Joanne Brown said, "Having this readily available is a good thing, but the fact that we are here having to do this is a bad thing because it shows how far and how much these drugs have permeated into our community, and it's scary."

"It’s definitely needed thus potentially preventing unnecessary deaths around our community. Our community is most vulnerable here from our nenis to our nanas," said freshman Roy Quinata.

Senator Wil Parkinson said, "I have lost friends in my life directly to fentanyl. I first saw it stateside and it was devastating then and it crushed me when I saw it was starting to take a foothold here in Guam when it took some of my friends."

The drug talk also leading some to discuss the controversial text that circulated after two middle schoolers got sick, as Barnett said, "It’s not even true, quote “Untalan has two students who were given gummies that has fentanyl."

"This message was all over the place and it caused me great distressed because while I am standing here saying we are a little bit ahead of the curve, it is my great fear that we didn’t act quickly enough to pass this bill into law and get Narcan and Naloxone out to where it needs to be."

The Guam Department of Education confirmed after an investigation the students had actually used dab pens causing their illness. Still, senators used it as a point to why they each support the bill.

Vice Speaker Tina Muna Barnes said, "Whether that event was accurate or not, this was a wakeup call. We cannot not do anything as policymakers. We have to make sure our first responders are there in case of an incident."

And freshman senator Tom Fisher added, "If we are going to protect children from fentanyl and alcohol, should we also protect them from nicotine? All of these in combination or alone are deadly, and we need to stop the kids from getting on the path of opioid addiction."

Senator Frank Blas, Jr. also recalled him time on the force when he led the war on ice effort to combat the meth problem on island in the 90’s to drive home why this measure is important. "I saw those horrors. I lived those horrors and the biggest difference between those horros then and the horror now is the horror that we are dealing with now is it’s targeting our children," he said.

Bill 10 was moved to the Third Reading File before senators take it up for a vote.