School board considers equipping schools with Naloxone

The Waterloo Region District School Boardis considering equipping the region's schools with Naloxone kits.

Trusteesbegan raising the idea of introducing the potentially life-saving opioid antidote to schools last year,in an effort to address the Region's growing opioid crisis, said Nick Manning, chief communications officer with the board.

• Opioidoverdoses killed 38 people in Waterloo region in 2016

The issue was raised again in a meeting on Sept. 18, but Manning said the board will look to the province before making any further decisions.

"We're in a position now where we want to receive some guidance from the ministry of education and the ministry of health on how we should be handling this,"said Manning.

He said the board has been consulting with local police and first responders as well.

• 6naloxonedoses administered since launch of police program inMay

"Talking to police, we know the region can achieve a seven minute response time to any one of our schools to administer a Naloxone kit, if needed," he said. "So we feel like we're in a good place in terms of our ability to respond."

Manning does not believe there has ever been an incident where Naloxone was used at a Waterloo Region school.

Ottawa-Carleton District School Boardismaking the drug available in some of its schools this fall.

• Naloxone kits coming to Ottawa high schools

"There are big questions around something like putting Naloxone in our schoolsand kits to administer them," said Manning. "We'll carry on having those conversations and working closely with the policewhile we watch what Ottawa is doing and see whether we can learn any of those lessons and apply them here."