With fentanyl overdoses on the rise, head of drug task force pushes for Narcan in all Hawaii classrooms

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – With fentanyl overdoses on the rise, the top of Hawaii’s federal drug process drive is pushing for Narcan to be positioned in each classroom within the state.

The drug comes within the type of a nasal spray and is used to reverse an opioid overdose.

At present, solely a fraction of Hawaii’s faculties are armed with the antidote.

In line with the state Division of Training, Hawaii Keiki Nurses carry Narcan of their emergency treatment bag. Nonetheless, these nurses aren’t on the overwhelming majority of faculty campuses.

Lately, with so many medication laced with fentanyl, one unhealthy resolution may kill you.

“I had stopped respiration,” mentioned Earl Thronas Jr. The 28-year-old doesn’t even bear in mind overdosing.

“And that was the scariest half,” he mentioned. “We took two hits. I assumed I fell asleep.”

Three minutes later, Thronas mentioned, “My lips had turned blue. And my pores and skin was changing into pale already.

“Fortunately I had somebody close to me who had Narcan.”

The nasal spray is used to cease an opioid overdose.

Gary Yabuta, government director of Hawaii’s Excessive Depth Drug Trafficking Space, says he needs to see it extensively distributed in faculties. “Each 12-year-old and above ought to know what fentanyl is,” he mentioned.

“And they need to know what Narcan is. That’s the fact.”

He says these days, nearly any drug may be laced with fentanyl, together with colourful powders and capsules.

“Fentanyl is 30 to 50 occasions stronger than heroin,” mentioned Yabuta. “They could be considering it’s simply one other sweet. They could be considering it’s cocaine. They don’t know what they’re taking.”

Thus far, the DOE says there have been no fentanyl overdoses reported on its college property and that the drug has additionally by no means been confiscated on any campus. However drug specialists say it’s solely a matter of time.

“Any youth. Any younger grownup is susceptible,” Yabuta mentioned. “As a result of it’s interesting. And it’s a development.”

HNN requested the DOE if having Narcan in each classroom is one thing it’s contemplating. A spokesperson responded that, “The division is searching for steering from the state Lawyer Basic’s Workplace on this.”

HNN confirmed lower than 20% of Hawaii’s public faculties presently have Narcan on campus.

Hawaii Keiki Nurses ― the one ones who carry it ― principally work at campuses on Oahu. There are 54 of the professionals statewide; in the meantime, Hawaii has 295 public faculties.

“It’s actually life or loss of life,” mentioned Thronas. A yr and a half after fentanyl almost took his life, Thronas is clear from medication and dealing in the direction of changing into a licensed substance abuse counselor.

“Talking from expertise the primary time I did medication, more often than not was in class,” he mentioned. “Or from college relationships. Friendships.”

He’s additionally urging the DOE to behave now, earlier than it’s too late.

“In the event that they don’t have it within the college, it’s going to be a baby that passes away,” Thronas mentioned.

Yabuta says there are grants that may cowl the price of Narcan for organizations that work with kids.

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