Lifesaving Narcan in Carrollton-Farmers Branch is the result of an all-out, statewide effort to protect kids
Two lives have been saved in the span of a month in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD using Narcan. That’s good news worth a headline.
After a string of overdoses left three Carrollton-Farmers Branch students dead in recent months, the district ramped up an awareness campaign and made Narcan available on every one of its campuses, according to news reports.
Narcan, the common name for naloxone, is a nasal spray that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose. On March 29, the Food and Drug Administration approved it for over-the-counter use, citing the public health threat posed by drug overdoses, which claimed 101,750 lives in the 12 months ending in October. Many of those overdoses involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl, an FDA press release said.
As we’ve written before, fentanyl is a serious public health emergency that requires coordinated responses from government, schools, families and the faith community. It’s easy to manufacture and traffic, and some varieties can be so potent that a dose the size of the tip of a pencil can be lethal.
Texas politicians, law enforcement officials, medics and educators have pursued proactive means to combat the problem, and now we can point to at least two lives that have been saved as a result.
Last Tuesday, a student at DeWitt Perry Middle School in Carrollton who was unresponsive in class was revived with Narcan, according to a district message. Another student was treated with Narcan on March 3.
It’s troubling that drug use is so pervasive that kids are apparently popping pills and then going to class as if it’s just another day. And there is a danger here that students will come to rely on Narcan as a safety net, enabling more drug use. There is more work to do.
But the headline is that lives have been saved because responsible adults — especially those Carrollton-Farmers Branch employees who recognized a problem and administered Narcan — are taking action to protect kids.
At least two students are alive — and two families are not crushed under the weight of another tragedy — who would not be without this community response.
The Dallas Morning News
