Opioid overdoses pose a serious risk to Oregon students. PER ORS 339.869 and OAR 581-021-0037 all school districts must provide information related to opioid antagonists (naloxone) to the parent or guardian of each minor student. The information provided must at a minimum include:
- A description of short-acting opioid antagonists and their purpose;
- A statement regarding, in an emergency situation, the risks of administering to an individual a short-acting opioid antagonist and the risks of not administering to an individual a short-acting opioid antagonist;
- A statement identifying which schools in the district, if any, will have short-acting opioid antagonists, and the necessary medical supplies to administer short-acting opioid antagonists, on site and available for emergency situations; and
- A statement that a representative of a district may administer to a student a short-acting opioid antagonist in an emergency if the student appears to be unconscious and experiencing an opioid overdose.
Districts may use the following letter/email to meet this requirement and help build awareness about the dangers of opioid use and the availability of naloxone in schools.
Resources:
Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority Fentanyl & Opioid Response Toolkit for Schools
Fentanyl and Opioids: Preventing Overdoses and Related Emergencies at K-12 and Higher Education Campuses (U.S. department of Education)
Information related to annually required substance use prevention lessons (Oregon Department of Education)
Information and resources related to Fentanyl overdose and misuse (Oregon Health Authority)
Save Lives Oregon
Contact:
Ely Sanders