At a press event at Seneca Valley High School on May 15, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) announced that students will now be permitted to carry Narcan on campus. 

“I think it’s [MCPS’] way of a quick escape instead of addressing the real problem,” shared an MCPS nurse in an interview with the Tattler, adding, “Students aren’t allowed to carry inhalers technically or epi-pens without a doctor’s note and proof they’ve been trained to use those medications, yet many kids have asthma or allergies. I think it’s a double standard and the county’s quick fix to a problem they should solve by educating kids more on drugs in our schools.”   

Students now have the freedom to choose to carry Narcan in schools based on their comfort. B-CC junior Max Veksler says, “I don’t think I’ll carry it personally,” adding, “I think it’s great the students can carry Narcan now because it’s a critical life-saving tool that helps combat a problem plaguing not only our schools and county but also our country.”

The press conference at Seneca Valley also covered new guidance for storing Narcan in schools and increasing the amount stored. While Narcan has been in every MCPS school since the 2018-2019 school year, MCPS has now identified new staff members in schools who are now required to be trained on how to use Narcan. 

This new policy was enacted after the Montgomery County Police Department released data revealing that “youth overdoses (residents 21 and under) spiked in 2022, rising 77%.” According to an earlier Tattler investigation into a Montgomery County memoranda released in late February, MCPS states Narcan has already been used 15 times during the 2022-2023 school year on MCPS grounds. 

If a Montgomery County resident wants Narcan without a prescription or wants training on how to use it, the county provides free training and access to free Narcan. To learn more, visit the county’s website or call Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services (240-777-1836).