According to the National Institute of Health, the United States has been going through an opioid crisis in recent years, including an increase in overdose death rates by 49% among 15- to 24- year-olds.
To combat this, Fountain Valley High School has expanded its access to Narcan, a naloxone nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses, across campus. Opioids act as chemicals that bind to neural receptors, affecting the feelings of pain and pleasure within the brain.
“We have had instances in schools where Narcan has had to be used, and it has been successful,” said Marci McLean-Crawford, the school nurse at FVHS. “Students dabble. They want to try things without thinking it through. That’s just the nature of having a teenage brain, and they may take something that’s been tainted with fentanyl or another opioid.”
Currently, Narcan can be found next to all 10 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDS) spread throughout campus, ranging from indoors at the health office, library and gym, to the outdoor pool deck, baseball field and track.
The Narcan is stored in red overdose boxes donated by the FV Fire Department. All 10 locations are posted on maps given to teachers to be displayed in their classrooms. The goal is for these medical resources to be easily accessible for any community members on campus if a situation arises.
FVHS has worked with several local community partners, including the FV Police and Fire departments and the Orange County Healthcare Agency to provide training on how to administer Narcan.
Narcan is administered nasally, but one must also conduct CPR on the person at the same time to pump and circulate the medication through the bloodstream to release the opioid from neural sensors.
“[Opioids] are going to shut down your respiratory drive. You’re not going to be able to breathe or have a heartbeat,” McLean-Crawford said. “Having the Narcan readily available in a quick response is going to save a life.”
At the end of last school year, FVHS hosted a naloxone training session, one of many presentations in recent years, where students learned how to properly administer the medication. Teachers are trained on the safety procedures, and all supervision staff on campus carry Narcan on them. Furthermore, at this year’s Back to School Night, the school hosted a table where families could receive both Narcan and training to protect their community.
“You might not think it’s going to happen to you or in your family, but it might be somebody you know,” Mc-Lean-Crawford said. “We have [Narcan] for a reason, which, unfortunately, has to do with making choices that are not healthy … It’s a very serious issue that can cause death, and Narcan can save a life. If you delay too long, you’re not going to survive.”