Mother shares story on dangers of fentanyl after son’s death
LEXINGTON, Ky. (WTVQ) – According to the state, in 2021, there were 2,250 drug overdose deaths in Kentucky, ore than 16-hundred from fentanyl.
“I’ve been an officer for over 30 years and in narcotics for over 20 and I’ve never seen the problem with narcotics the way we are with fentanyl right now” said President of the Kentucky Narcotics Officers Association, Jacky Hunt.
Debbie Rains knows the dangers of fentanyl all too well.
“Worst day of our life, worst day of any family members life who lose a loved one” said Rains.
Rains says her only son Zac started experimenting with drugs at the age of 14 when they lived in Jessamine County.
For years, it was a constant cycle of him getting clean, only to relapse again.
She says when he was 23, he got married and was expecting a baby with his wife, a pivotal moment when he wanted to really get better for his new family.
So, he went to rehab.
“We thought this will be fixed and he did too he was very optimistic he was like no i am not going to fool with those but unfortunately in life dealers and suppliers they hunt them down because they want to sell their product” said Rains.
She says after he got out, she received a letter in the mail for him.
“There was a letter that was delivered to my house because he moved out with his wife, and it sat on my counter for 3 days and I handed it to him and that letter contained fentanyl ” said Rains.
Rains says the next morning, July 4th, 2015, she went to wake Zac up, a moment she’ll never forget.
Zac had received a needle with fentanyl in that letter, overdosed, and died.
“He didn’t move and then I screamed and it was like your nightmare came true” said Rains.
His death led her to become an advocate for families across Kentucky who have experienced the same thing, speaking to schools and at events, against the use of fentanyl; hoping to make more people aware of the dangers of the drug.
“There is a saying I really live by, I can either live in the darkness of my son’s death or I can live in the light of his life” added Rains.
