Public high schools in Washington state are being offered drug overdose kits to help combat the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
In a press release from Wednesday, the Washington Department of Health (WDOH) revealed schools would be offered “two kits” of the intranasal spray Naloxone, also known as Narcan. Narcan is used to reverse the effects of an opioid drug overdose, such as fentanyl.
“Equipping Washington high schools with naloxone is a commonsense strategy to protect our students from opioid overdose,” Tao Sheng Kwan-Gett, WDOH chief science officer and board-certified pediatrician, said in the press release. “Some kids experiment with substances, unaware that just one counterfeit pill can contain enough fentanyl to be fatal.”
According to data from the WDOH for 2022, there were nearly 2,000 synthetic opioid drug-related deaths, more than twice the 672 deaths from 2020.
Data from the WDOH shows there were 91 deaths reported from synthetic opioids in 2016, 142 in 2017, 224 in 2018, 337 in 2019, 672 in 2020, 1,214 in 2021, and 1,803 deaths in 2022.
“Providing access to naloxone will not only save lives, but also send a powerful message that we care about the health of our youth,” Kwan-Gett added.
In January 2023, the WDOH issued an order allowing individuals of any age to receive either five kits of naloxone nasal spray or up to 10 vials of an injectible solution. Refills were given as needed.
In October 2023, the Biden Administration called on schools throughout the United States to stock up on naloxone. The administration added that students and faculty should be prepared to use the kit in the event of an opioid overdose.
President Joe Biden issued a statement in November 2023 saying he was “doing anything” he could to control the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
