Fort Lupton School District to Combat Fentanyl Crisis

PREVENTING DEATHS DUE TO FENTANYL | Narcan sprayers arrive at Weld RE-8 schools. (Photo/EFE)

THEY WILL ADMINISTER NARCAN NASAL SPRAY IN CASES OF OVERDOSE

Sofía Márquez / El Comercio de Colorado

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The Weld Re-8 school district in Fort Lupton, Colorado, has joined the fight against fentanyl. This past May 26, 2022, the school board approved applying to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) for a supply of Narcan nasal sprays to be placed in district schools.

Additionally, and most importantly, the school board approved that previously trained personnel can apply these sprays when students in the district suffer an overdose of fentanyl or due to the consumption of any opioid. That policy will go into effect back to school in the fall of 2022.

How can the Narcan help?

Narcan nasal spray is what is known as an “opioid antagonist.” This means that this drug can prevent the body from responding to the negative effects of fentanyl or any other opioid. That drug can even temporarily reverse the deadly effects of these dangerous substances.

A high dose of fentanyl or opioids in someone’s system can create a very dangerous situation. This substance can cause respiratory depression by affecting the part of the brain that controls breathing. Allowing schools to keep Narcan in their buildings could mean saving the lives of many students who overdose.

Can be applied to minors

Experts consulted assure that Narcan has no adverse effect. There is consensus among medical staff that there are no additional risks for the people to whom the medicine is administered. Narcan could be used safely in schoolchildren of all ages in case of overdose.

School officials, including Weld Re-8 teachers and students, will be able to apply Narcan. Current Colorado law, SB 15-053, provides full immunity from liability for anyone who possesses and administers Narcan nasal spray, protecting school districts from liability.

Weld County Crisis

According to the Colorado Health Institute (CHI), opioid overdoses increased 54 percent in 2020, accounting for nearly 2 out of 3 overdose deaths in the state. Meanwhile, in 2021, there were more than 800 fentanyl overdose-related deaths in Colorado. That figure represents a 260 percent increase when compared to deaths from the same cause in 2019.

According to the CHI, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the number of these deaths in communities of color. Paula Samide, a registered nurse who works for her at Weld Re-8, says that in that school district alone, 17.2 percent of children have used a prescription drug without a doctor’s order at some point in their lives. She shares the belief that these numbers have skyrocketed due to the pandemic and continue to grow.

“I am committed to preventing opioid deaths and injuries to young people in Weld County,” says Nurse Samide. Samide’s testimony was crucial in making school district authorities aware of the need to join the fight against fentanyl and other opioids. According to the CDPHE, in 2021, some 46 minors between the ages of 10 and 18 died from drug overdoses. 35 of those deaths involved fentanyl.