Plans are underway to implement Narcan training in local school districts
All three school districts in the Coachella Valley are in the process of incorporating Narcan (naloxone) on local school campuses.
Naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan, is a fast-acting drug that can reverse the effects of opioids like fentanyl and heroin and help restore a person’s normal breathing, according to the CDC.
Palm Springs Unified School District is bringing kits of the medication to campuses. "It's still in the process of being installed," Boiko said in an email, "but the plan is to have it placed with all the AEDs along with the Stop the Bleed kits."
The initiatives at PSUSD were outlined in a message to the school community from Superintendent Mike Swize, Ed.D., as he shared information on safety enhancements for the school year.
"We also want to make sure that we have staff at each of our sites who can respond to medical emergencies while paramedics are en route," wrote Swize. "In addition to the training that all of our school nurses have received, we also have staff at every site who have had Narcan training and will soon have 'Stop the Bleed' training."
"Security and health services staff were all trained, including our medical assistants at the sites and the admin who were able to attend," Boiko reported. Upcoming training events in October and November will be available for more team members and volunteers.
"Our plan to make naloxone (Narcan) available at our District began before the Covid-19 pandemic," says Lissette Santiago of Coachella Valley Unified School District. "We've finalized our plan these past few months and will present it to the board for approval in one of our next board meetings."
At Desert Sands Unified School District, spokesperson Mary Perry shared a statement.
"Our cabinet has released this statement:
The health and safety of our students and communities remain a high priority for DSUSD. As a measure to ensure safety and in accordance with CA ED code 49414.3, DSUSD is in the process of implementing a program in which the life saving medication naloxone is available at our school sites. In the coming weeks, staff will be trained on this life saving treatment and the medication will be distributed to school sites".
According to a California Department of Health dashboard, the Palm Springs zip code was fourth-highest in the County of Riverside when measured for any opioid-related overdose deaths. Deaths in people in age groups above 20 years old through 74 years old were more common, by far than for those younger than 20.
However, recent overdoses in Southern California schools have made the prevention top-of-mind for many parents.
Schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District will soon be equipped with doses of naloxone, Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho announced Thursday.
The district’s announcement comes after Los Angeles police reported multiple overdoses among local high school students, including one who died and another who was hospitalized after they were found on a high school campus last week, the police said in a release.
Editor's Note: A previous version of this story reported the three Coachella Valley school districts are in the process of incorporating Narcan on local school campuses. A spokesperson from Desert Sands Unified School District has not confirmed the school district was moving forward with incorporating Narcan on campuses but said that "this issue is being discussed" and more information will be available later this week.
