Catholic school board considers naloxone kits for high schools

Naloxone kits, used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, could be widely available in secondary schools within the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board (HSCDSB) in the near future, pending further information and research.

The issue was looked at during Wednesday night’s board meeting.

HSCDSB superintendent of education John Bruno, who was tasked to provide information on naloxone kits to trustees as part of his ‘safe schools’ portfolio, says that he’ll continue to look at the issue from all angles, including any potential liabilities that could arise from introducing the kits in a greater capacity at secondary schools that are governed by the Catholic board.

“It’s easy to say, ‘you know, let’s just put that in our schools,’ but you have to look at all the ramifications that come along with that,” Bruno said. “Certainly when it comes to saving lives, we’re all ears and we certainly want to know how we can save lives.”

In Bruno’s report to the director, he recommended that HSCDSB continue to explore all of the ramifications with Algoma Public Health before implementing a program, and to only implement the program at the high school level.

Board trustee Kathleen Rosilius says that while she needs to do more research regarding how other schools in the province have rolled out their programs, she would definitely welcome the program into the board’s secondary schools.

It’s a matter that hits close to home for Rosilius following the death of her nephew, Matthew Davies, five years ago. Davies, she told SooToday, died as the result of an opioid overdose.

“He started off in high school smoking some dope, then maybe testing a few chemicals,” said Rosilius. “But then he went off to college, that’s when it really hit.”

Rosilius says that Davies ended up at a facility in North Bay following a psychotic breakdown, and that it marked the beginning of the end.

“He was coming home, and we were rehabbing him and trying to get his life sorted,” she said. “...his mother hadn’t heard from him for a few days, and she went to check on him and he’d been dead for three days.”

“He overdosed, sitting in his chair in his apartment and died all alone.”

Rosilius and Bruno both point to past debates regarding the widespread installation of defibrillators, and how they are now commonplace in many public and school facilities, and that the implementation of a naloxone kit program could follow the same trajectory.

“Minutes matter, you have to do something as soon as possible,” said Rosilius.

“We have some people that do attend the school in a capacity of counselling that do carry the kits with them, but we’re reliant on one person being in this huge school.”

Rosilius says that she’ll be watching what happens with school boards in larger urban areas like Toronto and Ottawa, and will network with people at upcoming conferences in order to get feedback.

In the meantime, both Bruno and Rosilius say that they’ll do more research in an effort to understand the implications surrounding the program.

Questions about liability and effectiveness are still being discussed at the board level, with a pledge from Bruno that he will place the naloxone kit program on the board administration council agenda for next week.

It’s expected that a decision will be reached by the end of the academic year.

Rosilius says that for her part, this discussion is very much being carried on in the name of her nephew who died because of opioid abuse.

“I couldn’t help him, but if I could help someone else to have their life saved, I will do it,” Rosilius said.