Educators Call for More Fentanyl Prevention in California Schools

Brightly colored fentanyl pills. (Courtesy of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration)

Education authorities have expressed concern about the lack of fentanyl prevention and awareness programs in California schools.

Accidental overdose from synthetic opioids is currently the leading cause of death for people aged 18 to 45, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The opioid called fentanyl is known to make up the vast majority of these overdoses and is often made into rainbow-colored pills that resemble candy.

Health classes could educate students about the dangers of fentanyl, but health education remains optional in most California schools.

“That is our No. 1 complaint,” stated Dareen Khatib, co-chair of the California Health Education Community of Practice, according to the Santa Cruz Sentinel. “Prevention is not always prioritized. It’s not consistent. And it’s not offered to all children. ... Ideally, we want every student in California to have access to this.”

The San Bernardino Police Department recently announced one of the largest fentanyl-related drug busts in California history. On March 23, authorities seized $4.3 million worth of narcotics, including 10,000 fentanyl pills and 23 kilos of powder, which is enough to kill 11.5 million people.

Tony Thurmond, State Superintendent of Public Instruction, released a letter on Oct. 27, 2022, titled “Addressing the Fentanyl Crisis Among California Youth.”

He stated: “The time to act is now. I encourage all local educational agencies to take immediate steps to educate students, staff, and families so that we can prevent unintended use of this deadly drug.”

Narcan in Schools

In Bakersfield, California, on Sept. 9, 2022, a 13-year-old student was arrested after bringing 150 fentanyl pills to Chipman Junior High School. During a search of the student’s backpack by a school supervisor due to an altercation, the supervisor was exposed to the bag of fentanyl.

A Kern High School police officer arrived and administered the antidote Narcan (also called naloxone), and the supervisor was taken to the hospital. The student was charged with possession of a controlled substance.

No specific policy was in effect at the time for fentanyl education, and there was not a Narcan program at the school for teachers and staff to use.

Bakersfield City School District Superintendent Mark Luque said in a public statement: “I urge parents, please be aware of your child’s behavior and what they bring to school each morning. We live in a reality where our students have access to dangerous things. I ask that we continue to work together to ensure our school is a safe space where all students can attend school and learn to their fullest potential.”

Narcan is a resource available for schools with the adoption of AB1748 by state lawmakers. Narcan is used as a nasal spray (or in hospitals as an injection) as an antidote or reversal agent for narcotics, particularly opiates, including synthetic opiates like fentanyl.

Schools that receive Narcan for use are requested to train staff on how to administer the drug and how to store it safely. Schools are also encouraged to develop their own safety policies to implement Narcan use.

The Lake County Office of Education wrote an example of such a policy.

This policy “allows for the superintendent or designee, or any trained district staff member, to administer naloxone during an opioid overdose, which includes language to ensure the superintendent or designee trains and distributes naloxone kits to district staff and replaces any used or expired kits.”

Educating Students

The California Department of Education has offered many resources for teachers to educate themselves about the fentanyl crisis and in turn educate students.

On the CDE website, resources include access to webinars, a health education framework, access to counseling and mental health support, and community connections.

The website states that the health education framework “includes substance use prevention for students of all ages—starting with general lessons for the youngest students about the importance of putting healthy things in one’s body and resisting peer pressure, and eventually leading to detailed lessons for older students on the effects of illicit drugs on adolescent brain development. The idea is to connect health with life skills.”

Examples are a teacher setting up a role-playing activity in which students act out real-life scenarios, such as saying “no” to being pressured into taking a drug such as fentanyl.

Another bill introduced by State Senator Dave Cortese seeks for every county in the state to have a program modeled after that of the Santa Clara County Office of Education, which includes Narcan as well as education for parents and students.

Assemblymember Joe Patterson has introduced his own similar bill. According to the Lake County Office of Education naloxone policy, Patterson stated, “Seven-hundred seventy Californians under the age of 24 have died of fentanyl overdoses just last year, and that’s a 21-fold increase since 2016.”