Why it matters: Lawmakers in Minnesota are pushing for legislation that would require every school building to keep two doses of Naloxone, a nasal spray version of Narcan, to counteract opioid overdoses. The policy and funding to support it are tucked inside two House and Senate spending packages subject to end-of-session budget negotiations.
What they are saying: “We simply cannot tolerate more needless loss of life. We have to act with urgency and we have to act now,” says Democratic state Sen. Kelly Morrison.
The big picture: The last decade has seen an alarming spike in deadly overdoses in the United States from opioids such as fentanyl. A report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that deadly overdoses from fentanyl nearly quadrupled between 2016 and 2021, going from 18,499 deaths and a rate of 5.7 to 69,943 deaths at a rate of 21.6.
What to watch: The legislation is still subject to end-of-session budget negotiations, so it remains to be seen whether it will go through. Nevertheless, the push for Naloxone in every school building is a move in the right direction in terms of countering opioid overdoses.
My take: The opioid crisis continues to be a major problem in the United States, and it’s heartening to see policymakers taking steps to address it. Putting Naloxone in every school building is a significant move that could help save lives. It’s important to continue pushing for policies that support harm reduction and increased access to addiction treatment.
