Schools Stockpile Medication to Combat Rise in Fentanyl Overdoses
Ask students: Who is experiencing growing fentanyl overdoses, according to this story? Where are schools starting to keep Narcan in stock?
Summary
Overdose deaths caused by fentanyl are on the rise across the country. It’s especially grim for young people, with more than 75 percent of adolescent overdose deaths in 2021 involving the powerful synthetic opioid. In response, many schools have stocked up on Narcan, a medication used to reverse overdoses. Stephanie Sy reports from Sacramento, where Narcan is now available at all K-12 schools. For a transcript of this story, click here.
Five Facts
- Who is experiencing growing fentanyl overdoses, according to this story?
- What is Narcan?
- Where are schools starting to keep Narcan in stock?
- Why is Narcan being stocked in schools in California?
- How might keeping Narcan on hand in schools help reduce overdose deaths?
Focus Questions
Aside from stocking Narcan, what do you think are some ways schools can address rising opioid deaths among students?
Media literacy: Who else would you want to hear from to better understand why fentanyl and other opioids are causing increased overdoses among young people?
For More
What students can do: Watch the following segment for more context on the opioid epidemic. After watching this video, discuss: What are some ways communities across the U.S. can reduce opioid overdoses?
Republished with permission from PBS NewsHour Classroom.
PBS NewsHour Classroom helps teachers and students identify the who, what, where and why-it-matters of the major national and international news stories.
