New Hanover County Schools considers policy aimed at preventing drug overdoses

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — New Hanover County Schools is combating the opioid epidemic with a new policy aimed at saving lives.  

The district plans to equip each school with a supply of naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan. Under the new policy, at least one faculty member at each school will receive training on how to administer the drug.  

The nasal spray can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose within minutes.  

Coastal Horizons Quick Response Director Jason Black said the new policy is a step in the right direction.  

“The more we can increase awareness for the people that are supporting our students–sheriffs, teachers, administration–the safer the students and anyone else in the vicinity that may need an opioid overdose reversal will be.” he said. 

A report from the New England Journal of Medicine reveals that approximately 22 teens die of drug overdoses each week in the US, with the synthetic opioid known as fentanyl being a major contributor. 

The new policy would also ensure educators are trained to recognize the signs of a potential overdose.  

“There is an opioid epidemic, people know there is an opioid epidemic, but what somebody looks like when they are nodding out, or what somebody looks like when they are overdosing is not easy to identify,” Black explained. 

Another part of the problem—Black said—is the presence of fentanyl in virtually every drug teens can get their hands on.  

“Our street chemists, our drug dealers are putting fentanyl in everything. It’s in cocaine, it’s in PCP, it’s in marijuana in some cases. There isn’t anybody who’s safe,” he noted. 

The board will vote on the policy at their next meeting.