Combating Opioid Overdose in Greater Kansas City Schools
A Letter from the Kansas City Medical Society
The physicians of the Kansas City Medical Society are concerned about the opioid threat to the public health of the Greater Kansas City Region – including the increasing misuse of opioids by middle school and high school youth. This opioid misuse has led to serious health complications and even death in students in the KC Region due to opioid overdoses or taking opioids which contain Fentanyl. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), drug overdose deaths are the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the United States.
The KCMS would like to offer two opportunities to decrease this risk of opioid overdose and death in our schools:
1) Confirm that all KC Metro School Districts have Narcan/Naloxone (an opioid reversal agent) available for emergency use in every high school and middle school in all districts – including a written Narcan emergency use policy/procedure. KCMS physicians are willing to help school districts develop these policies and procedures – and to help assign a Medical Director if the district does not yet have one.
2) KCMS physicians are willing to provide educational programs regarding the opioid issue, and especially the need for obtaining and planning for the possible use of Narcan in an emergency situation. These educational programs can be offered to school district leadership, school boards, school nurses, parents, and students.
The physicians of the Kansas City Medical Society stand ready to assist our Kansas City Metro School Districts to collaborate, coordinate, and rise to meet the opioid crisis. Only together can we help to decrease the harms of opioids within our community.
Carole Freiberger-O’Keefe, DO
Kansas City Medical Society President
