The Wake County School Board has approved a new policy regarding the use of an overdose-reversing drug and raised meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year.
Wake County Schools will join other North Carolina districts like Charlotte-Mecklenburg that have adopted a new policy on the emergency use of Naloxone.
The nasal spray, also known as Narcan, can help reverse opioid overdoses. The school board approved the policy on Tuesday.
Opioid Crisis in Wake County
It will require up to at least three staff members in every school to learn how to use Narcan. The latest data from the Opioid Settlement chart shows 240 people died in 2021 due to opioid overdoses.
“All 200 Wake County Schools deserve to have naloxone,” said Barb Walsh, the executive director of the Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina. “It is no different than an EpiPen or an AED system or a fire extinguisher. It’s all life saving equipment.”
The new policy does not guarantee Naloxone at every school and it is also not required at activities held off school grounds. The Wake schools policy was also adopted ahead of a June 5 deadline to apply for county funding.