SAN ANTONIO – The potentially life-saving nasal spray that combats fentanyl or opioid-related overdose will soon be available at every North East Independent School District campus, a press release said.
The North East ISD Board of Trustees voted Monday night to make Narcan or Naloxone, a medication reversing the effects of a fentanyl or opioid-related drug overdose, readily available at every school.
Opioid overdose treatment is coming soon to every NEISD campus. Click the following link to read more: https://t.co/TXFqEO1Jcv
— North East ISD (@NEISD) March 7, 2023
The press release said that the life-saving nasal spray Narcan will be kept at the school clinic and the location where emergency medical supplies are stored, such as the campus Automated External Defibrillator (AED) cabinet. North East Police Department (NEPD) officers will also carry the medication with them, the district said.
The board of trustees approved Narcan after receiving feedback from the district’s medical advisory committee, which is made up of district staff and community health officials.
The press release said the impact of the opioid epidemic across the nation promoted the district to pursue Narcan through the Texas Targets Opioid Response (TTOR) project. The UT-Health San Antonio School of Nursing is distributing the medication at no cost to NEISD.
NEISD said Narcan has been found to be safe and will not harm a person if it is administered to someone showing overdose symptoms as a precautionary measure, much like an EpiPen.
As for when campuses will receive the Narcan, that is still not known. The district says once all of its schools are equipped with the medication, they will let the community know.
When asked if there have been any opioid or fentanyl overdoses or encounters at any NEISD schools, district spokesperson Aubrey Chancellor said the following:
“Fortunately, this is not something we are seeing at NEISD. We are simply exercising caution and responding to the increase in opioid emergencies within our community and the country overall. We want to be prepared and able to help anyone on our campuses experiencing an opioid emergency. It’s simply another resource that school personnel will have available to provide care if needed.”