On Wed. Jan. 29, during SMART period, the OD Free Marin Youth Action Team presented a training slideshow to the Tobacco Use Prevention Education (TUPE) class on Narcan or Naloxone, the opioid overdose-reversing drug. The Youth Action Team is an organization that educates groups on suicide awareness, mental health and substance use.
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Junior Leo Centeno, who is part of the TUPE class, felt that the demonstration provided a lot of helpful information that high school students could benefit from.
“It’s very important [to know how to use Narcan], especially in the climate [of] today where it seems that lots of drugs are being laced with fentanyl and [there are] higher death rates every year,” Centeno said.
The presentation lasted the whole period and included a demonstration of how to administer Narcan, how to recognize the signs of an overdose, what to do in the event of an overdose and how to lower the risks of an overdose with opioids.
“I learned that after you administer Narcan, you need to wait two to three minutes before administering another dose,” Centeno said.
According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, opioids are the leading cause of overdose, and in 2023, taking over 81,000 lives. It is also reported that one in four adolescents have experimented with opioids.
“It’s very important for young people [to be educated on opioids] because they are the main victims of these overdoses,” Centeno said.
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TUPE teacher Jonathan Hirsch has had five students overdose on opioids. He believes that education can be an effective way of combating the amount of opioid overdoses.
“It’s very important that teens are empowered with as much information as possible to make the most educated and value-based decisions they can,” Hirsch said.Narcan has saved the lives of almost 30,000 people. The “miracle” drug is now being given to patients who are prescribed opioids from Kaiser Permanente as a repercussion. Narcan is available at the Wellness Center in the event of an overdose, but the school cannot give students their own Narcan, though it could potentially save many lives.
“[Narcan] is considered a medication and schools by California law are not allowed to give out medications, so we can’t pass out [Narcan, though] I’m sure many people would love that. We are going to make sure that every student knows where they can access Narcan,” Hirsch said.
TUPE, though it primarily targets nicotine prevention, is working towards further educating students on opioid prevention as well.
“Narcan usage is already incorporated in many of TUPE’s presentations; however, as we continue to learn we will give more information and education on this topic,” Centeno said.
For more information on Narcan and opioid prevention, visit https://odfreemarin.org/.