Anchorage School District officials say at least five of 10 recent medical incidents involving students with overdose symptoms were linked to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that’s the subject of state warnings this month.
Kathy Bell, director of the Healthcare Services Department at the Anchorage School District, talks about fentanyl overdose symptoms while holding a pamphlet on Wednesday, April 19, 2023.
Students primarily took the drugs in pill form or snorted it crushed with another type of medication, according to Kathy Bell, the district’s health services director. Anchorage school officials say the recent overdoses are concerning, given their severity. Some students have been unresponsive as opposed to previous overdose situations in which students were less seriouslyFederal drug enforcement officials and community activists have told her“And so naturally, any time you have an uptick in a state or community, it’s gonna seep into the schools, because we’re just a part of the community too,” she said.
responding to an average of eight reports of all types of overdoses every day as of last week, according to assistant chief Alex Boyd. One student overdose occurred during lunch off campus, while eight others took place in schools, according to a district spokesperson.
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