Listen up, folks. Da numba of fentanyl overdoses in Hawaii stay spiking like crazy, an’ da state Department of Education stay steppin’ up fo’ help. Dey confirming dat dey starting to spread Narcan across da schools in da state. ???
Narcan, if you no know, is one nasal spray dat can reverse an opioid overdose. Ilima Intermediate, one school in Ewa Beach, now got its own stash of Narcan. Dey get about 700 seventh an’ eighth graders attending dere. ???
Right now, da Narcan stay in da school’s clinic, but da plan is fo’ get bottles of da nasal spray all ova da school. Why, you ask? Cuz sometimes our middle school keiki, dey try hard fo’ fit in, an’ sometimes dey make one bad choice trying to belong. ???
Da Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration say dat about 30% of our keiki start fooling around wit drugs between da ages of 12 and 14. An’ guess wat? Synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, caused plenny people fo’ die in Hawaii last year. Da Hawaii Department of Health say fentanyl probably caused at least 60 deaths statewide. Scary, yeah? ??⚰️
Da good news: “We no see one big impact at schools yet,” but if we no know how fo’ respond or no get da resources fo’ handle da problem, den we no doing our job. Fo’ have Narcan on campus, at least one staff member gotta complete one training course dat da Health Department supervise. ??⚕️??
Since December, more than 300 DOE employees wen’ take da class fo’ learn about da nasal spray an’ wen’ fo’ use ’em. Da state health officials hope fo’ see da opioid overdose antidote in every school in da state. ???
Even if one student stay having some issue dat get nothing fo’ do wit an opioid overdose, da Department of Health say dere’s very little risk of an adverse effect fo’ Naloxone. But even so, we gotta stay ready. Dey no get statewide data on whether any opioids like fentanyl been taken away on school campus or if anybody wen’ overdose. ?♀️??
Da focus right now, though, stay on preparation. “We like put ourselves in da best possible position fo’ do wat we can fo’ save someone’s life,” dey say. An’ no just da school’s two health aides who wen’ go through Narcan training. Dey working fo’ get some of da teachers, administrators an’ office staff enrolled in da course too. ?????
Right now, da school get six doses of Narcan on hand, wit anodda 20 on da way. An’ da best part? Dey no cost da school anything. Dey can put da Narcan all ova da campus in da first aid kits an’ in various areas. Dey like da teachers fo’ know wea da Narcan stay an’ how fo’ get ’em fast. ?♀️?⏱️
NOW IN ENGLISH
? Fighting Fentanyl Overdoses! State Begins Equipping Schools with Narcan ??
Attention everyone. The number of fentanyl overdoses in Hawaii is skyrocketing, and the state’s Department of Education is stepping up to help. They’re confirming that they’re starting to distribute Narcan to schools throughout the state. ???
For those who don’t know, Narcan is a nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. Ilima Intermediate, a school in Ewa Beach, now has its own supply of Narcan. The school has approximately 700 seventh and eighth graders. ???
At the moment, the Narcan is stored in the school’s clinic, but the aim is to distribute bottles of the nasal spray throughout the school. Why, you might ask? Because sometimes our middle school kids, in their quest to fit in, can make poor choices. ???
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, about 30% of our children start experimenting with drugs between the ages of 12 and 14. And here’s a shocking fact: synthetic opioids like fentanyl were responsible for a significant number of deaths in Hawaii last year. The Hawaii Department of Health says that fentanyl was likely linked to at least 60 deaths statewide. ??⚰️
The good news: “We haven’t seen a significant impact at schools yet,” but if we’re not prepared or lack the resources to handle the issue, then we’re not doing our job. To have Narcan on campus, at least one staff member must complete a training course supervised by the Health Department. ??⚕️??
Since December, more than 300 DOE employees have taken the course to learn about the nasal spray and when to administer it. State health officials hope to see the opioid overdose antidote in every school in the state. ???
Even if a student is experiencing a health issue unrelated to an opioid overdose, the Department of Health says there’s very little risk of adverse effects from Naloxone. But we must remain prepared. They currently lack statewide data on whether any opioids like fentanyl have been confiscated on school campuses or if anyone has overdosed. ?♀️??
The current focus is on preparation. “We aim to put ourselves in the best possible position to do what we can to save someone’s life,” they say. And it’s not just the school’s two health aides who’ve undergone Narcan training. They’re working to get teachers, administrators, and office staff enrolled in the course as well. ?????
At present, the school has six doses of Narcan on hand, with another 20 on the way. And the best part? They’re provided at no cost to the school. They plan to distribute the Narcan throughout the campus, in the first aid kits, and in various areas. They want teachers to know where the Narcan is and how to access it quickly. ?♀️?⏱️
