As overdoses in schools rise, many are keeping reversal medications on hand

Kansas firefighter Josh Magaha has presented fentanyl and opioid overdose awareness programs in multiple schools across Kansas, reporting that every school he visited had experienced an overdose. He testified in support of HB 2489, a bill requiring school districts to stock naloxone and provide fentanyl education, but the legislation failed in a Senate committee in April. The bill would have used opioid settlement funds to cover costs and mandated state guidance for prevention programs. Meanwhile, Ohio became the latest state to clarify that K-12 schools may carry and administer naloxone or Narcan after Governor Mike DeWine signed House Bill 57 in January. The law was proposed by a constituent whose school-aged son died from an overdose. State Rep. Dontavius Jarrells, a cosponsor, emphasized the rising risk of fentanyl exposure through vapes, laced marijuana, and other drugs, often without users’ knowledge. Nationwide, adolescent overdoses have risen sharply, with over 700 deaths in 2022-2023—more than double the 282 recorded in 2019, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that naloxone was not administered in 70% of fatal overdoses among ages 10-19, despite bystanders being present in two-thirds of cases. Ohio’s law resolves prior legal ambiguity, as some schools already stocked naloxone but operated in a ‘grey area’ regarding administration. Summit County Public Health reports no schools in the county directly distribute naloxone, though several use NaloxBoxes—wall-mounted cabinets with naloxone and overdose response instructions. The FDA approved naloxone nasal spray as over-the-counter in 2023, and federal agencies have since encouraged its availability in schools. In Kansas, HB 2489’s failure leaves schools without state-mandated naloxone requirements. Stacey Rogers, who lost her son to a fentanyl overdose in 2022, argued the bill’s combination of education and naloxone access was a realistic response to the crisis. Rep. Pat Proctor, a sponsor, noted fentanyl’s lethality, often hidden in counterfeit drugs like cocaine or Percocet, and stressed the need for prevention efforts.