Investigation underway into suspected drug-related deaths of 2 Woodlands High School students

Authorities say two Woodlands high school seniors may have died after an overdose of drugs. FOX 26's Damali Keith has the story.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas - The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the deaths of two Woodlands High School students Friday, who may have died as a result of a drug overdose.

The Conroe ISD Crisis Support Team was made available to students at Woodlands High School today after the two Woodlands seniors died yesterday from what’s believed to be an overdose of drugs.

The deaths of the two Woodlands High School seniors potentially by drug overdose have opened painful wounds for people like Sarah Hall, whose son Ethan also died of an overdose in Montgomery County in August 2020.

"It’s been very, very heavy on my heart," Hall says. "Grief is a physical pain unlike any other."

The grieving mother started the non-profit Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor (M-COPE).

"It’s happening too much. It’s too rampant," Hall says referring to herself and the other members in the group. "Something has to be done. We couldn’t save our children, but maybe we can work to save someone else’s."

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The investigation into the deaths of the two Woodlands High School seniors is still early.

"It’s presumptive that it could possibly be a drug related overdose, but it will be several weeks before it’s conclusively determined," says Judge Wayne Mack, Montgomery County Justice of the Peace and one of the county coroners. "Since COVID there has been a 30% increase in death by overdose, accidental overdose in Montgomery County."

"Kids have got to be aware of what is out there and what can happen to them," Hall adds."One pill can kill."

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She’s also encouraging parents to have the tough talk with their kids about drugs.

"Graduation is coming up, graduation parties, summer’s about to happen, kids will be going to the beach, people will be partying," Hall says. "You just have to realize your choices can end up killing you."

"Unfortunately this time of year we see these things happen. I’ve been up all night." Judge Mack explains.

He was just returning to the office after working a teen suicide and another potential overdose.

"This is a public health epidemic. Drug addiction and behavioral health and suicide is a public health issues," Mack says. "We’ve got to fix this. We should treat addiction like a disease versus a decision. People don’t wake up and say I want to be a drug addict today...we know it takes 14 to 16 months for somebody to overcome addiction, but most insurance companies are only going to provide 30 days if treatment. It’s a formula for failure."

Hall meantime, wants youngsters to know the dangers of drug addiction.

"It’s too dangerous," she said. "It’s not worth it and if anything, think about your parents and what it’s going to do to your parents if something happens to you. As a parent whose lost a child you don’t know how to function. You don’t want to get up, but you don’t want to go to bed because you don’t want to sleep and dream about it. Literally every waking minute it is all you think of. It consumes you. It’s horrid. It’s absolutely horrid."

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Judge Mack says drug overdose deaths due to Fentanyl alone in Montgomery County have increased by over 200% since 2019. He also says before COVID-19 mental health and addiction services were at capacity, and now they’re beyond capacity but M-COPE has connections to a lot of resources.

You can reach the organization by clicking here.