Students present Be the Change findings, urge Narcan access and expanded mental-health supports

Students from the Be the Change Youth Coalition at Oceana High School presented data and recommendations to the Jefferson Union High School District Board of Education on youth vaping, opioid overdose prevention and school mental-health supports.

Mary Beer, director of Alcohol and Other Drug Services at the Daly City Youth Health Center, opened the presentation and described the program’s rebrand: “It’s called Inspire,” she said, and outlined the coalition’s focus on “brief intervention, community education, youth leadership, and policy advocacy.”

The coalition’s research group reported survey and focus-group findings the students said show easy access to vapes, limited awareness of overdose prevention and gaps in mental-health support. Students cited district and county survey results, including: about 30% of ninth…