FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KMJ/KFSN) — Every classroom in Clovis Unified School District is about to get an essential supply.
Narcan, which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, will be put in every class next week.
Parents and Addicts In Need (or PAIN) is giving the district more than 2,000 boxes of the life-saving drug.
“They’re going to put it in all elementary, junior highs and high schools,” said Pamela Smith, Operations Director of P.A.I.N.
The boxes will go to each school site in the Clovis district next week and into each and every classroom.
“This is a proactive step we are taking to make sure we can keep our students safe as well anybody else who comes onto our campus. We can’t predict when somebody will have an overdose, but we can be prepared for it,” said Shareen Crosby, Risk & Benefits Manager of Clovis Unified.
California does not require schools to have Narcan, but nine other states do.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, overdose deaths among 10 to 19-year-olds rose 109% between 2019 and 2021.
That’s why the American Medical Association has called for Narcan to be placed at every school.
“It’s the new Band-Aid. But people need to realize that’s exactly what it is. It is a Band-Aid. It is a life-saving tool for the moment, that’s it,” said Flindt Andersen, founder and president of P.A.I.N.
It should be known that Narcan does not cure addiction. And for someone struggling with substance use, it’s vital to get them treatment immediately after administering Narcan.
For Pamela Smith, this mission is personal.
Nearly eight years ago, her son, Jackson, died of a fentanyl overdose.
“I don’t want another parent to feel what I feel,” said Smith.
Because the opioid crisis is so widespread, having Narcan on hand in as many places as possible can make a difference.
“It could be exposure with our students, but it could be somebody coming onto our campus. It could be a visitor. There could be many instances where it could go beyond the students as well,” said Crosby.
If you need help finding treatment for addiction or would like to stock Narcan in your medicine cabinet at home, P.A.I.N can help.
