Kamloops-Thompson school district staff to begin naloxone training this month

KAMLOOPS – School administrators in the Kamloops-Thompson district are one step closer to being able to administer naloxone to a student in need.

Trish Smillie, director of student support services for the school district, says two training sessions on naloxone administration are planned. One will be held Feb. 20 and the other March 7.

Smillies says around 50 staff will be trained to administer the potentially life-saving medication, but more will likely be trained in the future.

Nearly one year ago, provincial medical health officer Dr. Perry Kendall declared a public health emergency after a surge in illicit drug overdose deaths. Naloxone has become known as a person's best hope for surviving an opioid overdose. It comes in an injectible form, used when someone is suffering from a suspected opioid overdose. If naloxone is administered successfully, it can buy the person some time before emergency responders arrive.

Last year, 914 people in B.C. died from illicit drug overdose deaths and many of those have been attributed to the growing presence of fentanyl.

Kendall recommended high schools to be equipped with naloxone and staff in the Interior listened. School District 73 The Kamloops Thompson School District confirmed in December that they would be training staff to administer naloxone, should there be a student overdose.

The superintendent of the Merritt and Princeton school district had said in November it was necessary to have naloxone kits available in case of emergency.

Smillie said in December that after training is complete, it will be up to the schools whether or not to keep naloxone on site and what form it would be in. The medication can come as a spray or injectible form.

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