Legislation seeks to reduce student opioid deaths

U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and Dean Phillips (D-MN) are espousing the benefits of the recently introduced School Access to Naloxone Act – maintaining the bill would reduce student opioid overdose deaths.

“The number of young Americans dying due to an overdose doubled in 2020, underscoring the reality that the opioid epidemic is impacting Americans of all ages, locations, and socioeconomic statuses,” Joyce said. “While I will continue to support substance abuse prevention efforts, it is also critical to make drugs, like naloxone, available in schools to help reverse overdoses. If we can increase access to this drug, we can save lives.”

According to legislation proponents, the number of domestic adolescent overdose deaths has been gradually increasing, rising from 492 in 2019 to 952 in 2020 and, in the most recent available data, 1,146 in 2021.

Additionally, the lawmakers cited research estimates indicating prescription and synthetic opioids account for 77 percent of overdose deaths.

“Representation begins with listening, and what I heard resulted in the introduction of this bill,” Phillips said. “Before I was first sworn into office in 2019, I heard from constituents of all backgrounds about the toll opioids were taking on their families and our communities. While stemming the domestic and cross-border flow of deadly opioids will take time, we can prevent overdose deaths immediately. Overdoses claimed the lives of almost 1,000 adolescents last year, and requiring schools to have naloxone available for emergencies is an inexpensive, safe, and proven way to protect our children.”

The bill would expand eligibility via the Public Health Services Act (PHSA) Section 544 program Grants for Reducing Overdose Deaths to provide new grant opportunities specifically directed at providing schools with funding to access and administer naloxone.