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Anti-overdose kits being brought into Red Deer-area schools as a safety measure

Some teachers are being trained to administer naloxone
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(Contributed image).

In the midst of the opioid crisis, some Central Alberta school districts are bringing anti-overdose kits into schools and training teachers and other staff to administer naloxone.

With the prevalence of fentanyl in the community, it’s the responsible thing to do, said Anne Marie Watson, board chair for Red Deer Catholic Regional School Division.

While there haven’t been any school overdoses to deal with, having the kits available is a preventative measure, Watson added.

The Catholic district has the injectable naloxone kits on hand while waiting for the nasal-spray kits to come off of back-order. Watson said staff were already trained to use the injectable kits by Red Deer’s Turning Point.

The local harm reduction group was also invited to hold an information session, along with RCMP members, on fentanyl awareness for parents and students at 7 p.m. on March 26 at Notre Dame High School.

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Watson said no directive has yet been given by Alberta Education or Alberta Health Services on making kits that reverse the effects of narcotics available in schools, “we just see it as a public safety issue, the same as having defibrillators…”

Since anyone can have accidental contact with fentanyl, she added, “It’s about public safety.”

Several corrections officers in Alberta jails were exposed to fentanyl, and Red Deer City Hall was shut down for a day last November after carfentanil was found in a public washroom. The synthetic opioid is 100 times a potent as fentanyl.

In the Chinook’s Edge School district, superintendent Kurt Sacher was directed by trustees this week to further assess the risk, training, trends and practises of making naloxone kits available in schools. The pros and cons of injectable, versus nasal spray, kits is one of the questions he will be investigating.

“We haven’t had any incidents,” explained Sacher. “But given the prevalence of fentanyl, and the size of our jurisdiction, sooner or later, you have to be prepared to respond.” He also sees it as a preventative measure.

The Red Deer Public School District hasn’t had conversations yet about bringing in naloxone kits. But community relations director Bruce Buruma said that doesn’t mean the issue won’t be addressed in future.

“We’re looking to get some direction and a greater level of knowledge,” he said, so his district will seek guidance from Alberta Health Services’ addictions experts.



lmichelin@reddeeradvocate.com

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