Minnesota lawmakers are pushing to make Narcan available in schools

According to local news station WCCO, proposed Minnesota legislation would “require that every school building have two cans of the nasal spray version of Narcan on hand,” with the station noting that the “policy and funding to support it are hidden in two House and Senate spending packages subject to budget negotiations.” at the end of the session.”

“We simply cannot tolerate any more unnecessary loss of life. We need to act urgently, and we need to act now,” said Democratic state senator Kelly Morrison, as quoted by WCCO. “We are thrilled that our bill is finally on the verge of becoming law in Minnesota.”

The station reported that Morrison was joined by fellow supporters and Minnesota Congressman Dean Phillips, a Democrat, at a news conference Thursday in St. Paul, who “announced a new bill that he co-authored in Congress that will incentivize… States to take similar steps as Minnesota.”

“At the federal level, not every state does that, so this is complementary more than anything,” Phillips said, as quoted by WCCO. “It … simply allows schools to apply for the dollars that are currently in place. And it’s actually quite simple and accessible, but right now they’re locked out of it.”

Over the past decade, there has been an alarming rise in fatal overdoses of opioids, such as fentanyl, in the United States.

A report this week from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that fatal fentanyl overdoses nearly quadrupled between 2016 and 2021, from 18,499 deaths and a rate of 5.7 to 69,943 deaths and a rate of 21.6.

The CDC’s report also noted an increase in other drug-related overdoses:

“The age-adjusted rate of fentanyl overdose deaths more than tripled over the study period, from 5.7 per 100,000 standard population in 2016 to 21.6 in 2021, with an increase of 55.0% from 2019 (11.2 ) to 2020 (17.4) and a 24.1% increase from 2020 to 2021 (21.6). The rate of methamphetamine-related drug overdose deaths has more than quadrupled from 2.1 in 2016 to 9.6 in 2021,” the report said. The rate of cocaine-related drug overdose deaths has more than doubled from 3.5 in 2016 to 7.9 per 100,000 in 2021. The rate of heroin-related drug overdose deaths decreased by 40.8%, from 4.9 in 2016 to 2.9 in 2021, although this was not statistically significant. The rate of oxycodone-related drug overdose deaths decreased by 21.0%, from 1.9 in 2016 to 1.5 in 2021.”

The CDC said that between 2016 and 2021, “age-adjusted fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine drug overdose death rates increased, while oxycodone drug overdose death rates decreased.”

“In 2021, age-adjusted death rates for men were higher than rates for women for all drugs analyzed. Among those aged 25 to 64, fentanyl had the highest rate of drug overdose deaths; Although a similar pattern was observed in people aged 0 to 24 years and 65 years and over, no significant differences between the rates were found. Fentanyl was also the most common opioid or stimulant implicated in drug overdose deaths for the racial and Hispanic groups analyzed,” the CDC reported.

These troubling statistics have prompted policymakers to take action. In 2021, New York City opened the country’s first overdose prevention center. The facilities are defined as “safe places where people who use drugs can receive medical attention and be associated with treatment and social services”.

“New York City has led the nation’s fight against COVID-19, and the fight to keep our community safe doesn’t stop there. After thorough investigation, we know the right way to protect the most vulnerable people in our city. And we won’t hesitate to take it,” then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said in the announcement at the time. “Overdose prevention centers are a safe and effective way to address the opioid crisis. I’m proud to show cities across this country that after decades of failure, a smarter approach is possible.”