Kelso students may be allowed to carry overdose-reversal medication

Following changes to state law, the Kelso School Board is considering updates to two policies that would expand access to allergy and opioid overdose reversal medication in schools.

Both policies came up for first reading Monday. The board is scheduled to make a final vote at their next meeting Jan. 13.

Preventing overdoses

One updated policy would allow both students and staff to carry naloxone, which is used to treat opioid overdoses, without being subject to disciplinary action for having it.

Naloxone is also commonly referred to by the brand name Narcan.

It is currently treated the same as other over-the-counter medications like aspirin, which students are not allowed to carry in school, said Gunnar Guttormsen, the district’s director of student services and assessments.

At a time when overdose deaths are rising locally and across the state, the district hopes having naloxone more widely available in schools will reduce the risk, according to the potentially new policy.

According to the Washington State Department of Health, opioid-related deaths among teens have almost tripled between 2016 and 2022, largely because of the spread of synthetic opioids like fentanyl.

The state Legislature passed a bill in March that requires school districts to have at least one set of overdose reversal medication like naloxone available at each school. Districts are recommended but not required to include it in all first aid kits and mark locations where it can be found on the school’s emergency map.

The district’s medication should only be administered by trained district staff, according to the draft policy, but students won’t be punished for administering their own if they think it’s necessary. The Food and Drug Administration reports that mistakenly giving naloxone to someone who is not experiencing an overdose will not harm them, and that it can be safely given to people of all ages, including young children.

Board member Rich Fletcher suggested adding a clause to Kelso’s policy that requires students to notify school staff when they are carrying naloxone.

“Because what that tells me is that they’re using opioids, or they have friends who are using,” he said.

However, Guttormsen and board member Leah Moore said many people just want to have it available if it becomes necessary because of how prevalent the opioid problem has become. Guttormsen compared it to keeping around a mouthpiece for CPR.

Moore, who works in downtown Longview, said she has seen multiple complete strangers overdose there, which is part of the reason why she carries naloxone despite not knowing any opioid users personally.

“I’m not ashamed to say I carry it,” she said.

Allergic reactions

Previously, state law only allowed schools to stock epinephrine autoinjectors, commonly known by the brand name EpiPen, for specific students who had a prescription. A bill passed in March now allows schools to also keep a stock of “undesignated” autoinjectors that can be used for any student experiencing an allergic reaction.

Epinephrine is also available as a nasal spray, which is subject to the same guidelines under the updated draft Kelso policy. It is used to treat anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction that happens rapidly and can be fatal.

Common allergens that cause anaphylaxis include peanuts, fish, dairy, bee stings and latex. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, at least one student in a classroom of 25 is likely to have a food allergy.

Students will continue to be allowed to carry their own medication, if they have a prescription, and parents or caregivers are still responsible for providing medication and treatment orders if their student is known to have a life-threatening allergy.