Subject:
Tell your lawmakers to expand overdose prevention tools in schools and public spaces.
Message:
Dear Legislator:
I am writing as a concerned constituent to urge you to pass A8814-a (McDonald)/S9272-a (Fernandez), legislation that would require schools, public libraries, boards of cooperative education services and certain other public locations to provide and maintain on-site opioid antagonists.
Opioid overdoses remain the leading cause of death for young adults, and the crisis is actively impacting students in K-12 schools and on college campuses alike. In 2023 alone, 5,926 Americans ages 15 to 24 died from opioid-related overdoses, with fentanyl responsible for more than 77 percent of those deaths.
In an overdose emergency, every second matters. Quick access to naloxone, a lifesaving opioid antagonist, can mean the difference between survival and tragedy. Not only would this legislation require these entities to stock opioid antagonists, but it would also require the department of health to provide the medication at no cost.
Not unlike having EpiPens for allergic reactions or defibrillators for cardiac arrest, having access to opioid antagonists is a necessary part of being prepared for medical emergencies in schools and could save lives.
The situation is urgent and demands immediate action. I respectfully urge you to advance this commonsense legislation within your conference. Our students’ lives depend on it.
Sincerely,
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