The mother of the 16-year-old who died from a drug overdose is warning the community about the dangers of the drug mixtures being sold and how widespread their use might be.
Prism Dawn, the mother of Avery Ping, confirmed her son's identity to The Olympian on Thursday. She said he died at a local hospital due to a drug overdose on Dec. 19 after ingesting what he thought was "molly," also known as ecstasy.
On Thursday, Coroner Gary Warnock said his office was still waiting on a toxicology report before making a final ruling on the cause of death. He said the report will likely arrive in February.
However, preliminary information showed the teen died from a combination of fentanyl, amphetamine and methamphetamine, Olympia police Lt. Paul Lower previously told The Olympian.
Dawn said the mix of drugs made it so Naloxone, a medicine that rapidly reverses opioid overdoses, could not save her son. It is predominantly used to reverse fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that's about 100 times more potent than morphine.
"That combination is even more deadly than fentanyl on its own," Dawn told The Olympian. "Once a person is overdosing from that combination, they can't be helped through live-saving measures such as Narcan."
Naloxone, known by the brand name Narcan, is often used by first responders but can also be obtained at pharmacies without a prescription in Washington state.
Though naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose, it cannot reverse overdoses from other drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Methamphetamine and amphetamine are stimulants, meaning they speed up the body's system, per the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
Following her son's death, Dawn said she's noticed other parents talking about precautions like getting fentanyl test kits and naloxone. While that can be helpful, she said she wants other parents to be aware of the limitations of naloxone.
Son Nguyen, a 33-year-old Olympia resident, has been accused of selling Ping the drugs that led to his death. A judge found probable cause for controlled substance homicide on Tuesday and set bail at $200,000.
The county jail roster indicated Nguyen was still in custody Thursday, although court records indicate he posted bond Wednesday.
Witnesses told law enforcement that Nguyen sold drugs to Olympia High School students using the online handle "travisolympia" on Snapchat, according to court records.
Officers also recovered a trove of guns and firearms at his residence near North Thurston High School.
Based on conversations with Ping's peers, Dawn said she's concerned there may be many more minors who have contacted Nguyen and may be in possession of drugs.
"I think people are really underestimating the number of students that have this person's contact information," Dawn said. "This person was dealing to a large section of our teen community."
Court records do not state if Nguyen is suspected of selling drugs to students of other schools or had a wider clientele. Lower declined to comment when asked about the scope of Nguyen's alleged dealings Thursday. He only said the investigation remained open.
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