BOULDER, Colo. — Carrie and Ryan Panning's son attended the University of Colorado Boulder (CU), and he died after taking something he didn't realize was laced with fentanyl. The parents who believe that are turning their grief into action.
An organization called Blue Rising, along with families who lost their college-aged kids to fentanyl, have partnered with ten schools across the state to educate students about the dangers of the drug.
The "You Can't Outsmart Fentanyl" education campaign was developed by Blue Rising with input from families, students and staff. Their focus is on kids who may want to experiment with drugs, and teaching them how easy it can be to take fentanyl unknowingly.
The Pannings' son, Ross, died in between his junior and senior year at CU. Ross Panning was studying computer science, and was staying on campus that summer to get ahead on classes.
"I want every student to know what the risk is of experimenting," said Ryan Panning.
"We can’t change what happened with our son," said Carrie Panning. "Ross wanted to make a difference in his life, and maybe with the death he will make a difference."
Two years after losing Ross, the couple is leaving a message for new students on campus. CU's Boulder campus is participating in the "You Can't Outsmart Fentanyl" education campaign.
"We felt like our son Ross - if the posters were up he would read that and he would think about it," said Ryan Panning. "And that is what we were trying to do."
Along with sharing posters sharing messages about the dangers of a small amount of fentanyl, Blue Rising and families also put together a checklist of actions they are hoping colleges take on. Some of those actions include supplying naloxone in all residence halls and requiring campus security to carry naloxone at all times.
"Some universities are doing everything. They are using our signage, they are educating their students in the frequency they are asking," said Dawn Reinfeld, executive director of Blue Rising. "We want everyone to do it. In fact we are giving everything away for free. Worked over the last year to apply to private foundations to fund this."
Schools currently participating in some or all parts of the checklist include:
- Aims Community College
- Colorado Mesa University
- Colorado School of Mines
- Front Range Community College
- Metropolitan State University of Denver
- Otero College
- University of Colorado Boulder
- University of Colorado Colorado Springs
- University of Northern Colorado
- Western Colorado University
CU Boulder said their campus is incorporating this partnership into its ongoing fentanyl education campaign that started in 2021, and they are proud to be partners with Blue Rising to enhance those efforts to provide fentanyl education to students.
"We know it takes a collective effort to combat fentanyl and other drugs in our communities, and are grateful for Blue Rising’s leadership to pull universities together to achieve the common goal of increasing safety and saving lives on college campuses," said Nicole Mueksch, assistant director of communications for CU Boulder.
Metropolitan State University of Denver said their students are getting involved in the campaign. Dr. Tricia Hudson Matthews, chair of the department of human services at the university, said students are helping to share the messaging around campus. She believes hearing this from students and not just adults will be an effective way to connect with kids on campus.
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