San Diego May Advocate for Stronger Substance Abuse Education

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors will consider a proposal Wednesday aimed at educating youth about the dangers of fentanyl. The item directs the county to work with education officials and the California State Legislature to implement mandatory substance abuse prevention in schools. It would also increase parent training and access to the opioid-reversal drug naloxone.

“One pill can kill – that is the message we need to get out to our children, the young people in the county,” said Supervisor Jim Desmond at a press conference Monday. He was joined by San Diego County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Paul Gothold and District Attorney Summer Stephan.  

Mandatory substance abuse prevention education was eliminated in 2009. A rash of fentanyl overdoses in young teens across the state has led public officials to take a second look. 

The rash of overdoses has also led districts like Los Angeles Unified and Sacramento City Unified to begin stocking naloxone in school offices. You can read about those efforts here and here.