San Mateo County’s K-12 schools are being equipped with Naloxone Toolkits (otherwise know by the brand name Narcan) to use in case of opioid overdoses on campuses.
Naloxone is described as an FDA-approved medication that safely reverses an opioid overdose by blocking the opioid receptor sites, thereby quickly reversing the toxic effects of the overdose.
The San Mateo County Coalition for Safe School and Communities, a multi-agency group that includes law enforcement, public safety, child welfare and other youth-serving organizations, launched its Naloxone Toolkit in December last year. The Toolkit provides school and district staffs with guidance on opioids, how to identify and respond to overdoses and when and how to use naloxone.
Several County districts and private schools have already completed the onboarding process and received a supply of naloxone, according to the County.
“The opioid epidemic is affecting families and communities everywhere, and schools must be prepared to respond to this public health crisis,” said Nancy Magee, San Mateo County Superintendent of Schools. “The Naloxone Toolkit supplements the awareness and prevention work education leaders are already doing to help keep our students and communities safe.”
The San Mateo County Office of Education is leading the Coalition’s work in partnership with the state to offer the Naloxone Distribution Project (NDP) to San Mateo County schools. The NDP is funded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and administered by the Department of Health Care Services to combat opioid overdose-related deaths in the state, according to the County.
