News Article

Drug used to save heroin addicts may soon be in school medicine cabinets

Pharmaceutical company offers nasal spray free to high schools

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

by WLWT 5 Cincinnati

CINCINNATI —A drug that keeps heroin addicts alive could soon make its way to medicine cabinets in schools around Greater Cincinnati.

The medicine is called Narcan or naloxone, and many experts, including Kristie Blanchet, who heads People Advocating Recovery in Northern Kentucky, said it makes sense for school nurses to have it on hand in case of an overdose."If you think it hasn't touched you personally, you just don't know that it's touched you personally," Blanchet said of the region's ongoing heroin epidemic.

The idea of keeping Narcan in schools is gaining momentum since Adapt Pharma, a pharmaceutical company, is offering Narcan nasal spray free of charge to high schools across the nation.

Senate Bill 319, introduced by Sen. John Eklund (R-Munson Township), would make naloxone available to trained workers at schools along with treatment centers, homeless shelters and halfway houses in Ohio. Lawmakers may start discussing the proposed legislation next week.

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