GREENSBORO, N.C. — Debbie Peeden is a grandmother, mother and now activist.
What You Need To Know
- Debbie Peeden’s granddaughter Ashley died from fentanyl in 2021
- A report from the DEA shows that 6 out of 10 fentanyl-laced prescription pills contain a lethal dose of the drug
- In 2021, according to the CDC, almost 108,000 Americans died from drug poisoning
Peeden said her granddaughter Ashley was hanging out with a friend in 2021 when she died.
“So turns out the cocaine that she thought she had was mainly fentanyl, and she had enough fentanyl all in her system from the toxicology report to have killed several people,” Peeden said.
This is becoming common with young adults. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, overdose deaths involving psychostimulants with abuse potential rose from 547 in 1999 to 23,837 in 2020 and continued to increase to 32,537 deaths in 2021.
Peeden says she will never be the same since the loss of Ashley. She and her husband had custody of her when she was just 12 months old and raised her.