Arizona education chief to announce ‘fentanyl prevention’ program for Arizona schools

(The Center Square) – Arizona Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Horne is expected to announce a program on Tuesday aimed at tackling fentanyl-related issues in schools.

In a media advisory on Monday morning, the Department of Education said it will be forming a “task force” that will partner with major healthcare players in Arizona, including Terros Health and Mayo Clinic.

Specifically, it aims to look at how the problem impacts students and navigate providing Narcan to schools. More details are also expected on the DOE working with a non-profit to “provide free resources” to state public schools on the matter.

“Fentanyl can kill students within minutes of an overdose. It’s vitally important that all schools have Narcan available to help save student lives if it should happen on campus,” Horne said in a statement to The Center Square on Monday.

Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, is supposed to “reverse” the impact of an overdose, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.  

Fentanyl overdoses, especially accidental ones, have remained a top concern in the border state that has become a hub for trafficking of the potentially lethal opioid. 

Maricopa County and Pima County were hubs for fentanyl overdose deaths of teens aged 14 to 18 from 2020 to 2022, a University of California, Los Angeles, study explains. Maricopa County faced 117 deaths, and Pima County had 29 deaths. The study attributed these deaths nationwide mostly to “counterfeit pills.” 

The Arizona Department of Health Services estimates more than five opioid deaths daily in the state.

Politically, the issue has led to widespread debate, but there have been a few bipartisan silver linings. The Center Square reported that Gov. Katie Hobbs  signed legislation in April sponsored by Rep. Quang Nguyen, R-Prescott Valley, that creates a 5-15 year long sentence for convicted fentanyl dealers. Still, talks at the state capitol on how the border plays a role and what to do about that aspect continue.