Schools
To Fight Opioid Crisis, Santa Cruz Schools Get Antidote
The county's board of education will allow Santa Cruz school employees to have an opiate overdose antidote, according to the Sentinel.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA -- In an effort to fight the opioid crisis in Santa Cruz County, school employees will now have a tool: an opiate overdose antidote. The Santa Cruz Sentinel reported this week that employees will also be trained about the drug use.
The drastic move comes after Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 1748, which "authorizes pharmacies to provide schools with naloxone hydrochloride, known by its brand name Narcan, to properly trained personnel," the Sentinel reported.
Santa Cruz County Superintendent Michael Watkins told the Sentinel he plans to equip employees with the "nasal inhalant form of the drug, rather than as a needle injection."
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"The opioid abuse crisis that is sweeping the nation is no stranger to Santa Cruz County, which has one of the top 10 highest rates of opioid overdose deaths in California," the Sentinel reported.
--Photo via Shutterstock
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