JACKSONVILLE, Fla — With the rise in the number of opioid deaths, nationally, among children, there’s a call for Narcan to be a ‘norm’ in many of our everyday spaces.
ICYMI: New Arkansas Overdose Kit Law Inspires Federal Effort in Washington
Georgia Republican Representative, Buddy Carter, is the lead sponsor of the ‘Saving Lives in Schools Act.’ If approved, it would mandate kits in classrooms to be equipped with naloxone or other medication designed to block the effects of opioids, including fentanyl.
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“We do think it’s very important that people have naloxone, which is the opioid reversal medication. Most people know it as Narcan.” Mike McCormick, , said.
He works with the Florida Poison Information Center, and said it receives dozens of calls for children being exposed to opioids.
“The Center for Disease Control just put out that the projected deaths for the 12 month period ending in April of this year…is gonna be more than 111,000 people in the United States,” McCormick said. “Everybody is being touched by this epidemic.”
The effort was inspired by an Arkansas overdose kit law, introduced by Democratic Representative Tara Shepard. It goes into effect on January 1, equipping high school with the kits.
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