DENVER — More than 30 school districts and standalone schools across Colorado now have naloxone to help someone who has overdosed.
Denver Public Schools is the latest district to be added to the list. Nurses finished training this week.
The move comes as more kids in our state are dying of fentanyl overdoses. In 2019, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment said four people under 18 died of a fentanyl overdose. At least 20 kids have died so far in 2022.
CDPHE's Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund offers naloxone to Colorado agencies including law enforcement, public health agencies and school districts.
Denver Public Schools began keeping naloxone in its middle and high schools this week.
"Whether that is security guards, fire extinguishers, fire alarms or naloxone, we are doing everything we can to keep them safe," district spokesperson Scott Pribble said.
They're one of 32 districts and standalone schools that have received at least one free order through the Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund.
"If this is something that is going to be provided for us and something that could save a life, it makes perfect sense," he said.
Colorado Springs School District 11 felt the same way. They began carrying naloxone after a student at Mitchell High School overdosed on fentanyl while in class in December. She later died at a hospital.
A few months later, a school in Lakewood said a 16-year-old student died of an accidental fentanyl overdose. Jeffco Public Schools is now signed up for the program too.
"We have been very fortunate that it hasn't crossed into our school campuses yet, but we know with the presence of fentanyl and other opioids out there that there's always the opportunity," Pribble said.
School leaders don't want to wait for a worst-case scenario, and signups have increased quickly. Back in March, CDPHE said only six districts had placed an order of naloxone.
DPS is starting out with one or two doses per campus. They hope they'll never need to add more.
Eighty-three charters, schools or districts are in the process of enrollment in the Naloxone Bulk Purchase Fund. Of those, 32 have received at least one order.
From July 2021 to June 2022, enrolled schools ordered 1,174 doses of naloxone. CDPHE only tracks the doses of naloxone given to eligible agencies. They don't track the use of naloxone by those agencies.
The 32 standalone schools and districts that have confirmed delivery of naloxone from the fund are:
- 27J Schools
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools
- Aurora Public Schools
- Bayfield School District
- Boulder Valley School District
- Brush School District
- Byers School District
- Center Consolidated School District
- Cherry Creek School District
- Clear Creek School District
- Colorado Early Colleges, Parker
- Colorado Springs School District 11
- Denver Public Schools
- Douglas County School District
- East Grand School District
- Englewood Schools
- Hanover School District 28
- Harrison School District 2
- Jeffco Public Schools
- Lewis-Palmer School District 38
- Moffat Consolidated School District No. 2
- Pinnacle Charter School
- Poudre School District
- South Routt School District
- St. Vrain Valley School District
- Strasburg School District
- Telluride School District
- Thompson School District
- Upper Rio Grande School District
- Victory Preparatory School
- Weld County School District RE-1
- Westminster Public Schools
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