The drug can save the life of someone who has overdosed on opioids.
School leaders said it’s better to be safe than sorry.
โWe just hope that we hopefully will never have to use it. But in the event that we needed to use it, then hopefully we would be able to save a life,โ said WS/FCS Director of School Nurses Katie Key.
ABSS is in a similar process. The district said it’s researching Narcan dispensers.
This plan is in the early stages; no timeline has yet been determined.
Pill presses are poorly-regulated machines that are an essential tool for drug counterfeiters. Watch DEA’s Pill Press Push and find out why we’re thrilled with the DEA’s new pill press website. Learn more in this video, and keep up with drug safety news at safemedicines.org
RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) โ A motherโs been waiting almost a year for closure and answers. Kelley Blas is waiting for the official cause of her sonโs death.
On June 21, 2023, Blas lost her son John Steen to an accidental overdose.
โWe donโt know what exactly it was that took John, because we donโt have a toxicology report, we donโt have an autopsy, we donโt have a death certificate,โ Blas said.
Blas said she never thought sheโd be waiting upwards of 11 months to receive the documents.
The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said there are staffing troubles at the Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME.)
โNCDHHS has ongoing concerns about staff vacancies and high turnover at OCME, which have a negative impact on the systemโs ability to maintain high-quality services for North Carolinians,โ said NCDHHS.
Blas knows how much closure those reports could bring. She lost her older son David to an intentional overdose in 2017 after struggles with mental health. Four months after Davidโs death, Blas said she received the papers she once again is waiting for.
โI only could open it up just to read the cause of death, which I knew what it was, but I needed, I needed to see it,โ Blas said. โAnd once I saw it, I closed it and locked it up in a box and I havenโt really looked at it since then. But it just gave me a sense of just, okay, this part is done, I donโt have to think of my child being in a morgue.โ
DHHS said each case is different, so there is no typical time frame for completing reports.
Blas said the state medical examinerโs office told her Johnโs case is complete, but pending pathology review.
OCME has 15 permanent state positions that are vacant, equal to a 20% vacancy rate, according to NCDHHS. NCDHHS said that includes four vacant pathologist positions (out of 13.)
At the same time, the caseload is growing, with a 26% case increase from 2019 to 2023, according to NCDHHS. The department said it is undoubtedly influenced by a 69% rise in suspected overdose deaths.
โA backlog in OCME creates challenges for law enforcement, attorneys, our public health partners and for the families and communities left behind,โ said NCDHHS.
Blas emphasizes sheโs not the only one waiting for closure, hearing stories of similar or longer waits from other families who lost also lost children to overdoses.
โWhen you lose someone, that already causes suffering, and then when you have to compound that by extending these waits longer and longer, I just, Iโm not sure that others really understand what thatโs like,โ Blas said.
NCDHHS pointed to several recommendations in Governor Roy Cooperโs proposed budget, including:
Support expanded capacity by adding 35 permanent, state-funded positions to the OCME workforce;
Strengthen and support local medical examiners by increasing their payments from $200 to $400 per case and would more adequately cover the cost of their time and mileage to/from a scene;
Ensure local medical examiners are adequately supplied with scene kits, cameras and other necessary equipment to do their job;
Improve communication for families, law enforcement, attorneys and others about the status of a medical examiner case by developing a 24-hour call center and self-service portal to more timely deliver case status information;
Allow OCME to fully staff second and weekend shifts by providing compensation for OCME staff who are assigned non-traditional work hours; and
Increase OCMEโs ability to handle more cases though the much-needed expansion/renovation of the OCME location in Raleigh.
Xylazine, Benzatropine, a hallucinogen and another kind of designer chemical among drugs detected in sample linked to dozens of eastern North Carolina overdoses.
Itโs been six weeks since four people died in Goldsboro in four days and more than a dozen others across eastern North Carolina overdosed in a matter of weeks.
This week, scientists at the UNC Street Drug Analysis Lab were able to provide those. The test results from a sample collected in a baggie show that what was sold as illegal fentanyl was actually a mixture of eight different drugs.
“It turns out it was a particularly nasty mix of substances that involved fentanyl and xylazine, Benzatropine, a hallucinogen and another kind of designer chemical,” said Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta, a senior scientist in the lab. “It was really unexpected so itโs not surprising that a mix like that leads to a lot of overdoses.”
The lab has partnerships with dozens of health organizations, including Edgecombe County EMS. In the weeks since the uptick in overdoses in the county, Dalton Barrett and Dasgupta have formed a friendship as they both work with the common goal to address the crisis in a data-driven, science-led manner.
“This was pretty eye opening for us,” Barrett said. “When I saw the results, there was a number of things that I’d never seen before in Edgecombe County, per se, and it didn’t really make sense as far as the mixture.”
This is their second attempt at trying to identify what was in the supply that resulted in 16 nonfatal overdoses in Edgecombe during a two-week span last month. The first sample came from a dollar bill but there wasn’t enough residue for an analysis.
“I was extremely disappointed about the dollar bill sample,” Dalton said. ” I felt like maybe I had done something wrong or we just didn’t get lucky and sometimes that’s just how it goes. But being able to put our finger on this is gonna be a big, big deal for us.”
This time, the sample came from a stamp bag. The street product is known as Pringles.
Whatโs particularly unsettling: a few months earlier Barrett had samples tested from a different bag that had the same stamp and the results came back vastly different.
“Usually, we try and think about these stamps as like, labels on a beer bottle like this is Michelob Ultra, this is this and it’s like the same thing, time and time again,” Barrett explained. “But that’s not the case.”
Barrett says people in the community likely didn’t know that it was a mixture of so many substances since it had that same stamp and they had been safe using it in the past.
“Even the person selling it probably had no idea that it contained these substances,” Dasgupta said.
With the variety of drugs in the supply, WRAL News asked whether would naloxone work to reverse an overdose. Both men said yes, but the people probably wouldโve remained unconscious because of how potent the substance was. It is unclear if xyzlazine testing strips would have worked in this case.
Barrett says they’re unsure if this contaminated supply remains in the area. They’ve seen a 33% drop in overdoses this month compared to last. Still, he says it’s “a big, big deal” they were able to put their finger on what exactly is in supply and he is hopeful the results will raise awareness and save lives.
“Seeing people of my age dying from something that we can prevent really kind of tickles my heartstrings as a medical professional,” Barrett said.
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) — There’s a push to get a life-saving medication in every Wake County school.
Wake County Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve a new Naloxone policy.
Last month, Wake County school board membersย approved a new policyย that requires all county schools to keep a supply of Naloxone – also known by its brand name Narcan – and train faculty members on how to use it.
Before the vote, school resource officers already carried Narcan, but not every Wake County school has an SRO. The newly approved plan requires at least three staff members at each school to be trained and able to administer the drug in case of an emergency. However, it fell short of requiring Naloxone to be kept on campus.
“If we have a tool that can save a life, particularly one of our student’s lives,” Chris Heagarty, Wake County School board chair, said, “we want to do everything we can to take those steps.”
Under the new plan, each school principal will designate three or more people on their staff as a part of a medical care program. Those designated people will receive initial training and annual training on how to properly store naloxone, as well as how to administer it.
Each school principal will also need to come up with an emergency action plan for the use of naloxone that complies with all state laws.
“There’s definitely been people at my school that do drugs and it would be best if we had something like that on campus. God forbid something happens,” Cary High School student Emily Ranft said.
“I personally think it should be available in every school. Just because you never know. Better safe than sorry,” Dr. Collin Welteroth said.
This policy is personal for some Wake County mothers.
Barb Walsh, back in December, urged the school board to consider requiring Naloxone be put in schools countywide.
Walsh’s daughter Sophia, died nearly three years ago from fentanyl poisoning. She was drinking from a water bottle that had the dangerous opioid mixed into it.
She made it her mission to not only support families like hers but also promote the life-saving medicine Naloxone.
“It doesn’t take an army. It doesn’t take a lobbyist,” Walsh said to ABC11 in April. “It takes a mom who’s lost a child to stand in front of the school board to make this happen. And that’s significant.”
Tuesday’s Wake County school board meeting starts at 1 p.m.
(WGHP) โ Local deaths attributed to fentanyl have risen within the past decade, and mixing fentanyl into street drugs is becoming more common.
The synthetic opioid is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin.
The National Center For Fatality Review And Prevention examined more than 1,300 deaths of children between 1 and 17โฆ and found 84 percent of them were accidental.
Last week, a toddler in Thomasville accidentally ingested fentanyl, and first responders administered naloxone or Narcan to revive the child.
On May 21, 2024 at the Wake County Public School System board meeting Barbara Walsh spoke on the proposal to have Naloxone in all 200+ schools across Wake County.
Shortly after Barbara’s comments, WCPSS approved emergency use naloxone in all 200 schools! The second reading was waived and the motion PASSED!
The Wake County School Board is set to consider a proposal that would designate specific people on school campuses to be trained in administering naloxone in the event of an overdose emergency. However, it does not guarantee the availability of naloxone in every school.
Barb Walsh has dedicated her days to fighting the opioid epidemic. She has been steadfast in her pursuit for justice and bringing awareness to fentanyl fatalities and their families.
Walsh said her daughter Sophia died after drinking a water bottle with fentanyl in it. Now, sheโs working to get naloxone in every school in the state.
โShe could’ve been saved by naloxone, but she wasn’t,โ Walsh told WRAL News. โShe died instantly.โ
Right now, school resource officers carry naloxone, but not every Wake County school has one.
โIf [SROs] did receive that call to respond, and they were on campus, they will be able to arrive within minutes to be able to administer that Narcan, if needed,โ said Sgt. Jeremy Pittman, with the Wake County Sheriffโs Office.
In the proposal, it says principals would designate specific people on campus who would get training to administer it in the event of an emergency.
โNaloxone devices will be stored in secure but unlocked and easily accessible locations. Each school principal shall designate one or more school personnel, as part of the medical care program under G.S. 115C-375.1, to receive initial training and annual retraining from a school nurse or qualified representative of the local health department regarding the storage and emergency use of naloxone devices. The training shall include basic instruction and information on how to administer naloxone. Only such trained personnel are authorized to administer naloxone to persons believed to be having an overdose reaction, โ it reads.
Additionally, the principal would collaborate with โappropriate school personnelโ to create an emergency action plan, including a school-wide employee training to recognize the symptoms of an opioid overdose.
However, each school would not be required to have it.
โThis policy also does not guarantee availability of naloxone devices at school, and students and parents/guardians should consult with their own physician(s) regarding such medication(s). Nothing in this policy should be construed to require the presence or use of naloxone on school property or at school sponsored events, unless otherwise required by law. The Board cannot and does not guarantee that naloxone or a person trained in its use will be available at any particular school site or school-sponsored event,โ the proposal reads.
Thatโs because the drug comes with a price tag, according to a district spokesperson. The spokesperson said the district is still working to identify funding to get the drug in every school. The current budget does not reflect funding for naloxone in each school. However, it could change.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, โOpioid overdose on school grounds increased this school year, with 21 incidents of naloxone use.โ
Of the 115 school districts in the state, 22 have a district-wide program supported with local policy and procedure, according to NCDHHS.
โNaloxone in schools is a safety policy,โ Walsh said. โWe have AEDs in schools; we have EpiPens in schools; we have fire extinguishers in schools. Naloxone is not different.โ
Walsh said people also need to change their attitudes.
โEverybody gets judged. That judgment is the person, the victim, is somehow at fault, that they’re less than,โ she said. โIt is a medical emergency. That person’s life could be saved.โ
Additionally, Walsh said implementing naloxone in each school will bring wider awareness to the issue in general.
โYou’re also educating about the symptoms of fentanyl,” she said. “They’ll have more tools in their toolbox.โ
The board has been supportive of the proposal in previous meetings. A final vote will be required after Tuesday’s meeting.
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) โ Non-profits from across the state gathered at Legion Stadium on Sunday to spread awareness about fentanyl poisoning.ย ย
Attendees also had the chance to receive free Narcanโknown generically as naloxoneโwhich is a life-saving drug that can reverse the effects of fentanyl poisoning.
Leslie and Duane Locklear lost two of their sons, Matt and Ryan Locklear to fentanyl poisoning in 2022. The couple started the Fight 4 Me Foundation in their sonsโ memory. They said one of the biggest challenges with fentanyl education is the negative stigma.
โA great number of people, for whatever reason, donโt want to talk about it. They just want to stigmatize it and push it to the side, and knowledge is power so we just took that calling upon ourselves to get out there and try to make people aware of how bad that problem really is,โ Duane said.
Barb Walsh of Fentanyl Victims Network of North Carolina lost her 24-year-old daughter Sophia after she drank from a water bottle laced with the synthetic drug.
โShe grabbed a water bottle out of the refrigerator, the water bottle contained eight nanograms of diluted Fentanyl. She died instantly. No Naloxone in the house. She was left for ten hours before 911 was called,โ she said.
At the event, rapper 22Jax and Ladydice shot a music video for their song โFor Yโall,โ which aims to break the stigma surrounding fentanyl education.
โItโs bigger than everything thatโs going on. It became very personal for me when I heard about the 19-month-old that did not wake up from her nap or his nap at the Airbnb, thatโs insane. I have a 19-month-old at the house, so it really struck home,โ 22Jax explained.
Forgotten Victims of North Carolina Founder Patricia Drewes lost her daughter Heaven to fentanyl poisoning in 2018, leaving behind her son, Cameron. Drewesโ hope is that more parents like her will educate their children.
โFor Godโs sake, educate your children. I had no idea. I wish I had known then what I know now. We have to educate our parents, we have to educate our children.โ
If you would like to know how obtain Narcan in case of a life-threatening emergency, New Hanover County Health and Human Services has a list of where to get Narcan locally for free, with insurance.
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Rapper 22Jax wants to give a voice to families who have lost loved ones because of fentanyl and spread awareness about the drug.
On Sunday in Legion Stadium, rapper Alexander Whittington, also known as โ22Jax,โ held a music video shoot and fundraising event for fentanyl awareness.
โThe main purpose of this event is to inspire more people to speak up that felt as though they lost their voice or felt that the memory of their loved ones are lost,โ said 22Jax.
The music video shoot is for 22Jaxโs new song โFor Yโallโ featuring musician LadyDice. The song was released earlier this month, and 40% of the songโs proceeds will go to organizations helping raise fentanyl awareness.
22Jax says it is more than just addiction and overdoses. โThe insane thing is, all these things are happening and no one is doing anything, so I decided to use my platform to reach the youth and grab all of these organizations,โ said 22Jax.
โIt wasnโt until I really got involved with the song that I was really educated. The numbers and the statistics, itโs out of this world. I just feel like people need to know more and I am just trying to forward the education that I have received and try to save some lives,โ said LadyDice.
Michikoโs Voice is a non-profit based out of Johnson County and is one of the organizations that will receive proceeds from For Yโall. Kamaya Duff lost her 23-year-old sister Michiko, who died from fentanyl poisoning.
Duff says her sister unknowingly took 29mg of fentanyl.
โWhen my sister passed we were lost, it took us 15-18 months to get her toxicology back,โ said Duff.
Many families in attendance at the music video and fundraiser event say they waited months before finding out the cause of death of their loved ones. They say itโs a healing experience to be around other people who have experienced similar pain.
โThere is no stigma, it can happen to anyone, first-time users, non-users, addicts. It can happen to anyone,โ said Duff. โIt can be any adult or child it happens to the innocent and the non-innocent,โ she added.
The event also had free Naloxone and training to help prevent fentanyl poisoning and save lives. 22Jax says he appreciates the community support and hopes to keep spreading fentanyl awareness across the state and country.
โItโs overwhelming, I didnโt think the turnout would be so well,โ said 22Jax.
