New legislation would require all Pennsylvania high schools to stock naloxone, the opioid-reversing drug
If the bill becomes law, Pennsylvania would be one of just a few states in the U.S. that requires high schools to have naloxone on hand in case of overdose.
All Pennsylvania high schools would be required to stock naloxone, the opioid-reversing drug, if a bill proposed in Harrisburg on Wednesday becomes law.
State Sens. Christine Tartaglione and Nikil Saval, both Philadelphia Democrats, introduced legislation that would compel every high school in the state — public and private; urban, rural, and suburban — to keep opioid antagonists on hand.
The grassroots legislation was initially the brainchild of a student group — the University of Pennsylvania’s Forum for Legislative Action, which hailed the bill’s introduction.
The group, in a statement, said that members have grown up with the rise of the fentanyl crisis, and many have witnessed its impact firsthand. They are pushing for naloxone in schools so all have “lifesaving tools. By doing so, the state can take a proactive stance in protecting its youth, preventing avoidable tragedies, and confronting this public health emergency with the urgency it demands.”
Pennsylvania moved in 2015, under then-Gov. Tom Wolf, to permit schools to store naloxone. But this measure would go much further, and would make Pennsylvania among a handful of states that require naloxone in schools. New Jersey is also in that group.
While the legislation would require schools to stock naloxone, it would not require employees to participate in overdose response efforts. “Opioid emergency responders” would have to self-select, and schools would not be allowed to force employees to receive training or administer naloxone.
Tartaglione said the legislation felt personal; she has been in recovery from alcohol addiction for 20-plus years.
“If we could save one life, it’s worth it,” Tartaglione said in an interview. There is an “overdose emergency,” she said.
“When we join together to ensure everyone has the tools they need to be safe in the wake of addiction, we build more secure communities where anyone can recover and shape their futures,” Saval said in a statement. “Opioid antagonists are a proven intervention to reverse overdose and avoid tragedy. I’m grateful for the advocacy of the brilliant student leaders who shaped this policy to prepare high schools to take life-saving action and to Senator Tartaglione for her partnership.”
The bill is not guaranteed to pass; it will be referred to a Senate committee, where it would have to be approved before it could advance to the Senate floor.
But Tartaglione said she believed the bill could become law — possibly even in this legislative session.
“There are people on both sides of the aisle in recovery,” she said.