In response to an alarming rise in adult and youth opioid overdoses deaths, the Oregon Health Authority and Oregon Department of Education have released the Fentanyl and Opioid Response Toolkit for Schools.
The multi-page resource guide helps educators, administrators and school nurses create an emergency protocol for administering the reversal medicine Narcan, also known as naloxone, in the event of an overdose at school. ODE Director Colt Gill said, “the resources in this toolkit can save lives.”
According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl-related overdose deaths in Oregon increased by 74% from 2019 to 2020. That’s 298 preventable deaths of people, including youth under 18.
The toolkit also offers guidance for students and parents in recognizing signs of overdose and warnings of counterfeit drugs laced with fentanyl.
In the roll out of the Fentanyl and Opioid Response Toolkit for Schools, OHA Director Patrick Allen said, “rising opioid overdose deaths are a public health crisis and schools are the heart of Oregon communities.”