Schools pushed to stock Narcan for drug overdoses
More than 2,500 children and teens died from overdoses involving fentanyl during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WBAY) - The Biden administration is urging schools to keep medication on-hand that can reverse opioid overdoses.
In a letter to educators, White House officials say every school across the U.S. should stock naloxone nasal spray, also known as Narcan.
Grade schools don’t necessarily have it on-hand, though some colleges have it as well as fentanyl strips.
With this push, officials say faculty and students should be trained to use naloxone.
We have reported on the rise in overdose deaths among younger people, whether it’s here in Wisconsin or across the country. Pediatric officials say over the past two decades more than 5,000 children and teens have died from overdoses involving fentanyl, whether they ingested the drug intentionally or accidentally. More than half of those happened during the first two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’ve also reported how the FDA approved Narcan for over-the-counter sales earlier this year. The manufacturer is lowering the drug’s cost to make it more accessible to community groups and local governments.
Narcan works by blocking the effects of opioids on the brain and helping someone breathe again. It has to be given at the first sign of an overdose to be effective.
We’ll follow along with this push to stock schools with Narcan and bring you First Alert updates.
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