Atrium Health Floyd recently provided Narcan to its school partners at Chattooga County Schools, Darlington School, Floyd County Schools, Rome City Schools and Trion City Schools.
Narcan is a nasal spray that can be used in an emergency situation to reverse effects of a potential opioid overdose.
“We hope our school partners don’t have to use this medication ever, but having it on hand could certainly save a life,” said Dr. Ken Jones, senior vice president and chief physician officer at Atrium Health Floyd. “Narcan is not difficult to administer, and non-clinical people can learn how to use it effectively.”
In April 2024, Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp signed into law a bill that requires local school systems to acquire and maintain a supply of the lifesaving medications.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,000 people in the U.S. died of a drug overdose in 2023, with roughly 75 percent of those deaths involving opioids.
“We received this donation from Direct Relief, a humanitarian aid organization active in the USA and 80 other countries, whose mission is to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or medical need,” said Paula White school nurse manager for Atrium Health Floyd.
She said she started working last spring to securing the donations after the law took effect. Atrium Health Floyd provided a total of 108 single-use nasal spray containers to the school systems. Polk County Schools, another partner with Atrium Health Floyd, already had plans in place and received funding for doses from another source.
