Some school districts begin carrying Narcan for emergencies

(FOX 2) - As the opioid epidemic reaches a record high, some school districts in southeast Michigan are fighting back.

A number of schools are now stashing kits of the opioid reversing drug Noloxone, known as Narcan.

"It is super easy it is like doing nose spray," said Peter Kudlak, superintendent of Van Buren Public Schools. "If you have allergies, you can do it."

Kudlak says his district was one of the first to jump on board.

"Just like EpiPens, just like we have the ADs we have around the building if we can help anybody, we should help somebody."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 72,000 deaths in 2017 which is 200 deaths per day.

Kudlak says they are trying to get ahead of it with his district receiving a grant and teaching 30 staff members how to administer Narcan.

"Our principals, our central office, our food service director, our transportation director, we all got kits," he said.

Kudlak is also learning how to use it and now keeps a kit in his car. The 30 free remaining kits are in buildings throughout the district, ready to be used in school or during busy community events like basketball games or theater productions.

"We figure the more we have the better we'll end up being," he said.

Kudlak says while they didn't have any problems before getting the Narcan kits or after, he says there's no reason not to have them.

Schools in Brighton and Novi are also stocking up on Narcan. The superintendent of Novi public schools Dr. Steve Matthews says he would rather be prepared and not have to use it than unprepared and need it.