A high school art teacher in New Jersey, USA, was arrested by police after overdosing on fentanyl in front of his students and falling unconscious on the classroom floor.
Franco ThompsonThe 57-year-old, who taught at Roosevelt Middle School in Westfield, was found unconscious and unconscious in a classroom on the second floor of the school after 9 a.m. on Nov. 29 of last year. He has now been arrested, charged with drug possession and endangering the welfare of students.
A school nurse rushed into the second-floor classroom, where Thompson was found unconscious and unresponsive.
One of the officers noticed signs that Thompson had overdosed on drugs, so proceeded to inject him with naloxone hydrochloride, or Narcan, which he had brought along.
Moreover, the teacher started showing signs of improvement after the injection given by the officer, according to police.
In subsequent investigations, officials discovered fentanyl and paraphernalia in the courtroom closet.
In a letter to parents, the school district said the room where the events took place had been locked down and then disinfected, Fox 5 reported.
Although the incident occurred in November, Thompson was charged on Thursday with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, endangering the welfare of children and a misdemeanor misconduct, authorities have revealed.
Thompson is due to testify in the local Superior Court on February 1.
Thompson, who holds a BA in arts education from Kean University, has taught in the Westfield School District for the past 10 years, according to WesfieldNJ.com.
What is fentanyl
Fentanyl is a major health problem for the United States today, because it is a drug that is seriously fueling the overdose epidemic sweeping the country.
Overdose deaths from fentanyl and other synthetic opioids hit another record in the United States. According to data from the health authorities, between February 2021 and February 2022, almost 109,000 people lost their lives for this reason.
This takes the US overdose epidemic to an unprecedented level: there is a fatality every five minutes.
Source: Clarin
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.