First aid kits at some San Diego County schools now include Narcan, the overdose-reversing medication on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic.
California Governor Gavin Newsom plans to make $3.5 million available to make sure all middle and high schools have access to the medicine, including in San Diego where fentanyl deaths have been declared a public health crisis.
Seventh-grader Mady Westhaver's mom is doing all she can to make sure her children don't become statistics.
Fentanyl in the News
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“My mom says don’t do it because if u do it once you'll get addicted," Westhaver said from the backseat of her mother’s SUV.
In some cases, the cost of trying pills these days can cost you your life. That was the case with a 15-year-old girl at Los Angeles-area high school who last year after ingesting fentanyl-laced pills she thought were prescription drugs.
Her death is likely one of several incidents across the state that's behind Governor Newsom's push to make Narcan available for all middle and high schools across the state.
Learn more about the impact of the fentanyl crisis on local communities in NBC 7’s in-depth project "Poison Pill: San Diego's Battle With the Fentanyl Crisis." Watch here.
“The more they know they have it, the more they're going to want to use it because they know they have the Narcan,” Said Mady's mom Heather Westhaver. She's concerned about Narcan accessibility leading to risky behavior among teens.
“If it’s on the rise and problems are happening, I think it’s necessary to have it on campus and make sure we can save someone’s life,” explained fellow parent Tommy Cotner. But he’s also concerned.
"Kids might think it’s OK to venture and try drugs and overdose because we have something n to save them on campus," he added.
The San Diego and Poway Unified School Districts already equip their schools with Narcan.
Susan Barndollar, who’s the executive director of nursing and wellness at SDUSD, said Narcan is not a guaranteed lifeline.
She says she understands parents' concerns, but notes, like EpiPens, they want Narcan available for anyone who comes on campus and needs it.
“I would hate to know that there’s a rescue medicine out there and not have it on site to potentially save somebody's life,” said Barndollar.
Barndollar said Narcan has already been used a few times on campuses, but because of confidentiality and district protocols, she doesn't know if it was used for overdoses.
“If someone meets the criteria and, for any reason, they’re unresponsive, we give it because it’s a good medication because even if it’s not a fentanyl overdose, it won’t harm you. So it’s a good precaution to take," she explained.
Because San Diego Unified's middle and high schools are already stocked, Governor Newsom’s $3.5 million plan will allow the district to expand access to elementary schools — an unfortunate sign of the times considering doctors at Rady Children's Hospital say they've seen children as young as 2 years old overdose from accidental exposure to fentanyl.
