The White House has urged American schools to stockpile a potentially lifesaving drug that is used to prevent death during fentanyl overdoses as the drug continues to make its way into the country through the southern border.
In a letter sent to schools nationwide last week, the White House and the Department of Education urged schools to keep naloxone, a generic for Narcan, readily available.
“In the midst of this fentanyl overdose epidemic, it is important to focus on measures to prevent youth drug use and ensure that every school has naloxone and has prepared its students and faculty to use it,” the letter stated.
The letter added: “We want to share resources that could help your school and community prevent drug use before it begins and keep students alive long enough to get the help they need in the event of an overdose or poisoning.”
“Studies show that naloxone access can reduce overdose death rates, that its availability does not lead to increases in youth drug use, and that it causes no harm if used on a person who is not overdosing on opioids.
“It is important to note that individuals should not be afraid to administer naloxone, as most states have Good Samaritan Laws protecting bystanders who aid at the scene of an overdose. Our schools are on the frontlines of this epidemic, but our teachers and students can be equipped with tools to save lives.”
The letter, which Education Secretary Miguel Cardona co-signed, did not mention the U.S. border with Mexico.
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, naloxone “rapidly reverses an opioid overdose” and can “quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose.”
The drug can be administered through either a nasal spray or intravenously.
The DEA also stated that most fentanyl that enters the country originates from China and is trafficked in from Mexico.
The Biden administration has presided over a historic border crisis for nearly three years while American deaths from fentanyl overdoses have skyrocketed in recent years.
The Department of Justice announced in May of this year that 4,721 pounds of fentanyl were seized in southern California alone from drug smugglers.
From March 13 to May 10, the drugs were seized while 200 smugglers were arrested.
Townhall reported Border Patrol agents have already seized enough fentanyl this year to kill the entire U.S. population.
The DOJ said it is fighting the fentanyl crisis through “aggressive prosecutions,” but the number of dead Americans has done little to motivate the federal government to close the border.
Just last week, a judge ordered the federal government to stop cutting razor wire in Texas that state officials have placed along the border to dissuade illegal border crossings, CBS News reported.
Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott praised the ruling and argued the Biden administration has undermined the state as it has seen record numbers of people cross from Mexico.
Federal judge orders Biden Admin to stop cutting razor wire along Texas-Mexico border.
Another win for Texas & our historic border mission.
Biden created this crisis & has tried to block us at every turn.
Attorney General Paxton & I are pushing back.https://t.co/b0xhFaSCqJ
— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 30, 2023
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2022 almost 70 percent of the 107,081 Americans who died from a drug overdose had ingested fentanyl.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
