Fentanyl test strips to be distributed to Culver City students, families

CULVER CITY, Calif. (KESQ) - A potentially life-saving initiative will see fentanyl test strips distributed to students and their families by the Culver City Unified School District in a pilot program approved this week, officials announced today.

A unanimous decision was reached at Tuesday's meeting of the CCUSD Board of Education to provide free, pocket-sized fentanyl test strips to students and families district-wide, according to a news release from the office of board president Triston Ezidore.

"This initiative makes CCUSD one of the first school districts in the region to proactively expand harm-reduction tools for students and families amid a rapidly escalating fentanyl crisis,'' according to a statement from Ezidore's office that said fentanyl is the leading cause of death for 18- to 45-year-old people in the U.S. with some young victims unknowingly overdosing despite never intending to use fentanyl.   

"By launching this pilot before tragedy strikes locally, CCUSD aims to meet this moment with decisive, preventive action,'' according to Ezidore's statement.

The program is in partnership with Defense Diagnostic Inc.'s DEFENT division, and the district will "gather feedback and monitor implementation as it evaluates the program's impact on student and community safety."

The district plans to release additional information with students and their families as to ``distribution locations, educational materials and other pertinent information'' during the program's roll-out.

"Keeping our students safe means meeting this crisis with honesty, compassion and real tools,'' stated Ezidore. ''Fentanyl is taking lives across California - often because young people do not know what they're being exposed to. Leaders have a responsibility to act before a crisis occurs, not after. By piloting this program, we are giving students and families a resource that can prevent accidental overdose and support informed, life-saving decisions."   

Superintendent Alfonso Jiménez said the program is part of a broad "student safety strategy.''

Alongside Narcan availability, wellness supports, and education around substance misuse, providing fentanyl test strips offers another critical layer of harm reduction for our community,'' he said. "We are committed to taking proactive steps that protect our students before they are ever put at risk."