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Clarifying stance on naloxone in schools

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Further to the article titled SD78 to put naloxone kits in schools (May 11, 2017), I would like to clarify the current assessment of the need to make naloxone available in schools. The Provincial Health Officer, Dr. Perry Kendall, has stated that schools are not designated as high-risk environments at this time, and that he does not recommend at this time that every school should be mandated to carry naloxone.

BC Coroners Service data show that youth aged 15-18 comprise less than two per cent of fatal overdoses in Fraser Health and no young person has died of an overdose at the school they attend. There have been no deaths in children under 14 years of age. School administrators should only obtain a naloxone kit for the school and train staff to administer the medication if they know they have a high-risk student population, or if they are aware of students using illegal drugs on or near school grounds.

The best approach is to provide young people and their families with information that saves lives — what drugs are out there, empowering better decision making, and enabling parents to have conversations with young people about substance use. This information and more can be found by visiting fraserhealth.ca/overdose.

Dr. Andrew Larder

Medical Health Officer

Fraser Health