Nearly 700 schools received more than 14,000 naloxone doses - OHA release - PORTLAND, Ore.— Oregon’s schools are better equipped to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses following a collaborative effort last year to offer free overdose reversal kits to middle and high schools, colleges and universities across the state, as well as expanded substance use prevention resources, state officials say.  The collaboration between Oregon Health Authority (OHA) and the Oregon Department of Education (ODE) resulted in 692 schools receiving free opioid overdose reversal kits, totaling more than 14,000 additional doses.  The program marked an expansion of Save Lives Oregon www.savelivesoregon.org, and was possible because of one-time funding through the Oregon’s Opioid Settlement Prevention, Treatment and Recovery Board.  Every school in Oregon is now eligible to receive the kits. Previously, the program was limited to junior high schools and above.   In addition, new resources are available on ODE’s Substance Use Prevention Education website to support educators, students and school communities in addressing youth substance use and opioid overdoses.   The tools are culturally responsive and aligned to substance use prevention education standards and build on the resources released last year, including the updated Fentanyl Toolkit for Schools.  Naloxone is a proven opioid overdose reversal medication that can restore breathing while waiting for emergency medical services to arrive. Quick access to naloxone is necessary for school staff to respond quickly to an opioid overdose on or near a school campus.   Each participating school received three metal boxes for easy access to naloxone, each containing 24 doses and face shields.  The kits reached:  137 public school districts, or about 70% of Oregon districts: 31 private schools and 47 charter schools; 10 universities and 5 community colleges.  More than 8 in 10 participating schools placed the kits prominently on walls in publicly accessible areas.  Schools used the kits to respond to seven separate overdose events involving high school, middle school and community members, according to a survey of participating schools.  Both agencies are sharing the success of their partnership to prevent substance use and overdose deaths among youth and young adults as the U.S. recognizes October as National Substance Use & Misuse Prevention Month highlighting its impact on individual and community well-being.  Overall, youth substance use has been declining recently.  In Oregon, youth and adult overdoses decreased from 2023 to 2024. Youth – defined as people between ages 10-19 – account for 1% of all overdose deaths in Oregon.  However, every life lost to overdose is a tragedy, especially to the families and communities left behind. Even one preventable death is too many.  Having naloxone available and equipping people with the skills to use it is one way to save more lives. Half of youth who died from an overdose had at least one other person present.  However, only 24% of those youth were given naloxone.  Overall, the number of unintentional overdose deaths related to fentanyl nearly quadrupled between 2020 and 2022. In 2023, 1,833 Oregonians died of an unintentional drug overdose.  The school program was part of a larger statewide effort to increase supplies of naloxone throughout the state and to equip communities to prevent substance use and reduce overdoses.