News Update

New legislation would require schools to stock overdose reversal drug after fentanyl deaths

It may soon be mandatory for California schools to stock Narcan, the drug that can save the lives of people overdosing on the synthetic opioid fentanyl, The Los Angeles Times reported.

The proposal is part of legislation introduced by both Democratic and Republican state lawmakers this week that aims to increase information about the presence of fentanyl on K-12 campuses. The drug can be fatal and consumed unknowingly when it’s hidden in other drugs such as oxycodone and Adderall.

The Los Angeles Police Department reported that at least seven teenagers overdosed from pills possibly containing fentanyl this year, including a 15-year-old girl who died in September, the Times reported.

In the opening week of the new legislative session, Assemblymember Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin) introduced AB 19, which would require schools in California to have at least two doses of emergency naloxone such as Narcan on campus in case of an overdose.

Patterson, a father of four who was sworn into the state Legislature on Monday, said the issue is bipartisan and he’s faced no opposition to the legislation.

But the details of the proposal — including the undetermined cost — could be tricky, the Times reported.  The legislation comes as California is facing an estimated $25-billion budget deficit, and state programs that offer Narcan are already in high demand.