Advocates call for required opioid‑use education and naloxone training in high schools

Multiple witnesses — young trainers, medical students, addiction clinicians and bereaved family members — urged the Joint Committee on Education to require opioid‑use disorder education and hands‑on naloxone training in high‑school health classes. The bills (Senate Bill 382 / House Bill 530) would set content standards for classroom instruction covering the science of addiction, stigma reduction and practical overdose response, including how to use naloxone (Narcan).

Speakers described short, feasible curricula. Suhani Mitragotri and student groups reported a 15‑minute training they developed that raised student comfort with administering naloxone from 29% to 80% in pilot sessions. Clinicians including Dr. Sarah Bagley said many teens and even trained volunteers still lack familiarity with naloxone and urged standardized, regularly updated curricula reflecting the evolving illicit drug supply (fentanyl prevalence). Bereaved parents urged quick passage, calling the training potentially lifesaving for teens who attend parties or encounter laced substances.

Public health witnesses recommended implementing review mechanisms so curriculum content stays current with changes in the drug supply (fentanyl analogs, counterfeit pills), and requested that the bill explicitly reference fentanyl where appropriate. No formal committee action was recorded at the hearing; witnesses sought a favorable report and clear, evidence‑based standards for classroom instruction.

Ending: Proponents urged lawmakers to require opioid education and naloxone training statewide, saying short, low‑cost lessons could prevent deaths and create a generation of informed first responders.