New S.C. Narcan law already saving students’ lives
SOUTH CAROLINA (FOX Carolina) - Three students are alive today thanks to South Carolina’s Lifesaving Medication Act.
Signed into law nine months ago, it allows schools to stock and their nurses to ister Narcan, which is a nasal spray with the power to reverse an opioid overdose.
In August, the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) began asking schools to report when Narcan is istered on campus. At the start of the spring semester, we requested all the reports from August through December.
The reports revealed three incidents, each involving a nurse istering Narcan to a student.
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Two school nurses in Horry County treated students: one at St. James High School and another at Conway High School. Another nurse in Anderson County gave a student Narcan at Honea Path High School.
“Now, to be equipped for those opioid overdose emergencies, is wonderful,” said Dawn MacAdams, president-elect of the South Carolina Association of School Nurses. “Let’s face it. Kids experiment and it’s easier probably than adults would think for kids to get a hold of things ... I’m surprised we haven’t had more numbers reported because we know the risk is out there.”
According to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, overdose deaths for 10 to 19 year-olds have increased more than 100% in recent years.
It’s a reality The Phoenix Center, a rehabilitation and treatment facility, is working to warn parents about.
“When we were in school, these types of things just didn’t happen and it shows, you know, how drugs have changed over time,” said Jessica Owens, chief operating officer of The Phoenix Center.
That same CDC study said nearly all of the adolescent overdoses involve opioids.
“I think with our kids we have to be pretty direct. We have to let them know about the dangers,” Owens said.
MacAdams said some districts are still in the process of rolling out their programs.
“You still have to have a school board policy to reflect that,” MacAdams said. “You have to have your policy and procedures.”
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