Sacramento City Unified staff training to save lives with Narcan

Sacramento City Unified is the latest California school district to distribute Narcan to all of its schools. The nasal spray can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

The school board voted recently to change its board policies to train school staff to administer Narcan at school sites.

Sacramento County had 174 deaths related to opioid overdose in 2021. Some victims were as young as 15, according to a press release from the Sacramento City Unified.

Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is the major contributor to drug overdoses in California, according to the California Department of Public Health. In late September the department sent out a email alert warning of a new brightly-colored fentanyl, known as rainbow fentanyl that is growing in popularity. The drug can be in pill form or disguised as powder, blocks, candy or sidewalk chalk.

SCUSD Health Services has obtained free Narcan to distribute to our school sites through the California Department of Health Care Services Naloxone Distribution Project.

“We know that as adults and children cope with multiple traumas in their lives, before and after the pandemic, there has been a tremendous increase in substance abuse,” said Victoria Flores, executive director of Student Support and Health Services for the school district. “Opioid related deaths can be prevented and by having broad access to Narcan, our schools will have the ability to educate our community and save more lives.”