SUGAR LAND, Texas – The White House has declared fentanyl a national security threat, likening the drug to a chemical weapon.
While fentanyl has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths in the U.S., advocates emphasize that death is not the only tragic outcome. Survivors often face permanent, life-altering brain damage.
Jessica Jarrett knows this reality firsthand. Her son, John Bryan “JB” Jarrett, 30, overdosed on a pill laced with fentanyl on September 5, 2020, just six days before his 25th birthday. His heart stopped, and his brain was deprived of oxygen, leading to a seven-day coma. Doctors diagnosed him with anoxic brain injury.
“In the days before the overdose, he was a drummer, a musician, an artist,” Jarrett said. “He had his own business and he was talking about buying a home and getting married someday.”
Today, JB cannot speak, walk, or move independently. He requires round-the-clock care from his mother and a professional caregiver.
“Not everyone dies,” Jarrett said. “Some people survive and are left with severe brain injury. It affects an entire family and an entire community.”
JB’s story sheds light on a less visible aspect of the fentanyl crisis—one often overlooked in national statistics. The White House’s new executive order aims to combat fentanyl trafficking through stronger border security, international sanctions, and disruption of chemical supply chains. However, Jarrett stresses that awareness and education are just as critical.
“Enforcement matters, but so does education,” she said. “I believe if Narcan had been available that night, my son’s story could have been very different.”
The executive order also calls for expanded prevention programs and increased access to treatment as overdose numbers continue to rise nationwide.