Public schools should take advantage of life saving drug Narcan

Here in the state of Kentucky there is an issue with drug and narcotic use. Last year alone, there were 1248 intentional and unintentional drug overdoses statewide, an increase of 160 deaths from 2014 (this according the Kentucky state office of drug control policy). Fayette County saw a 25% increase in drug overdoses from 2014 to 2015, a startling figure.

Large consumers of these drugs are teenagers and young people, who may not understand the harm that these drugs can do. In the early 2000’s Kentucky and surrounding states were subject to a large increase in the use of prescription drugs by young people who didn’t need them.

This was combated through legislation making it difficult to obtain prescription drugs without a prescription. As a result, drug users switched to using marijuana and more dangerously heroin and other opiates.

Opiates such as heroin have “historically been used as painkillers, but also have a great potential for misuse,” claims the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA). SAMSHA also measured that in 2014, 212,000 people aged 12 and older used heroin for the first time in Kentucky.

There is hope for Kentucky’s drug epidemic yet.

AdaptPharma, one of the primary producers of the drug naloxone or Narcan (an anti-opiate used to halt a drug overdose by medical personnel and police departments), and the Clinton Foundation are working together to get this life saving drug free to Kentucky high schools.

In spite of this evidence of the life-saving potential of the drug, Fayette County decided to release a statement in April saying that they would be holding off on the offer. This is a foolish mistake, and one that has consequences.

“Based on our data, we do not have a need for this resource at this time,” Fayette County spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall claimed.

Fayette County, having seen a 25% increase of drug overdose deaths between 2014 and 2015, the second most in the state that includes Eastern Kentucky, infamous for its drug abuse problems, the need is definitely there.

The naloxone wouldn’t just be for students, it could be easily used on any regular civilian if they happened to overdose on school grounds or near those boundaries. Hypothetically if someone had overdosed in one of the many apartments surrounding HC or anyone near on the premises, if the Narcan was readily available and didn’t have to be delivered by paramedics, lives could be saved.

This safeguard is worth the hassle for Fayette County schools. With this step our county would make movements toward becoming safer and more prepared in the face of one of the most deadly drug epidemics in the state of Kentucky.