This story is Part 1 of WTOP’s four-part series, “ Fighting Fentanyl ” which explores how the drug is impacting students, families and schools in the D.C. area. Opioid overdoses are declining across DC region. What’s behind the trend?

It’s been over two years since a large group gathered outside Wakefield High School holding colorful signs.

They had messages in both English and Spanish, hoping to show support to students at the Arlington, Virginia, school. Some hoped for increased security and new rules. The event came days after Sergio Flores, a student at the school, was suspected to have overdosed in a school bathroom in early 2023. He later died.

The incident prompted Arlington Public Schools leaders to change their approach in response to a troubling rise in youth overdoses. T

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