Fentanyl Overdose Antidote Required at California K-12 Schools Under New Bill

Narcan, which contains opioid-blocker naloxone, is sold at Walgreens in New York City, on Aug. 9, 2017. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

After several cases of student overdoses due to the synthetic opioid fentanyl, California lawmakers introduced a bill requiring naloxone—a nasal spray that reverses an opioid overdose—on K–12 school campuses.

While schools are permitted to carry naloxone on campus, Assembly Bill 19—introduced Dec. 5 by newly-elected Assemblyman Joe Patterson (R-Rocklin)—would require schools to always have at least two doses of the spray.