Manley Applauds Expansion of Naloxone Access in Schools

ROMEOVILLE, Ill. – To ensure that students are being kept safe, state Rep. Natalie Manley, D-Joliet, is highlighting a recent order by the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to make it easier for schools to assist students who are overdosing on opioids.

“With opioid and fentanyl-related deaths on the rise for teens, ensuring that schools have a supply of naloxone, or similar drugs that reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, will save lives,” said Manley. “The easier it is for schools to obtain and administer these medications, the safer our students are from opioid overdoses.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), overdose deaths among persons aged 14-18 increased from 2019 to 2021. Approximately 90% of deaths involved opioids and 84% involved fentanyl. According to the Illinois State Board of Education, there were ten instances where a student was administered an opioid antagonist during the 2022-2023 school year. To ensure that students are being kept safe from opioid overdoses in schools, Manley helped pass legislation last year that would require schools to maintain a supply of opioid antagonists, such as naloxone. To help implement this policy, IDPH issued an order to schools that allows them to obtain opioid antagonists without a prescription and allows a school nurse or other person who has been trained in their use to administer the medication. The order also expanded the list of approved opioid antagonists, making it easier for schools to obtain these medications.

“As the opioid epidemic continues to impact our community, we must use every tool at our disposal to fight against these dangerous drugs and the deadly effects they can have,” said Manley. “I would like to thank the Illinois Department of Public Health for putting the health and safety of our students first and ensuring that schools are able to use naloxone and other lifesaving drugs.”