Preventing substance abuse and fatal overdose with evidence-based youth substance use prevention measures, opioid reversal agents

11/13/2023

In a joint Dear Colleague letter issued Oct. 30, the U.S. Department of Education and White House Office of National Drug Control Policy call on schools to implement evidence-based youth substance use prevention measures and have opioid reversal agents like naloxone on-site and ensure students and staff are trained and prepared to use it. 

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that can be deadly even in small doses. Overdose deaths among adolescents doubled from 2019 to 2020 and continue to rise.
 
The Department’s Opioid Abuse Prevention webpage provides information on requirements for schools to provide instruction in prescription opioid abuse prevention.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse lists several evidence-based prevention strategies in the Preventing Drug Use Among Children and Adolescents guide.

RecoveryOhio’s NaloxoneOhio website and the Ohio Department of Health’s Project DAWN website provide guidance on naloxone and resources to access opioid reversal agents. 

Direct questions to prevention@education.ohio.gov.