Ohio City's School Officers Will Carry Overdose Antidote

AKRON, Ohio (AP) - Officers patrolling public middle and high schools in one of northeast Ohio's largest cities will start carrying the overdose antidote naloxone during the coming school year.

The Akron Board of Education voted 5-1 in favor of the policy Monday. Supporters say access to the antidote, also known by the brand name Narcan, could help prevent potential drug deaths amid the opioid epidemic.

Only board member Debbie Walsh dissented. Walsh tells the Akron Beacon Journal she worries it sends the wrong message and gives people the idea that, as she puts it, "As long as there's Narcan, we're safe."

School resource officers at Akron's six high schools and nine middle schools will carry the antidote and be trained to use it. It will be stored in the schools' health clinics.

Join The Conversation On The KDKA Facebook Page
Stay Up To Date, Follow KDKA On Twitter

(© Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.