PHOENIX (AZ Family) — Substance abuse is one of the two leading risk factors for preventable childhood deaths in Arizona.

That means schools play a leading role in the fight against deadly drugs like fentanyl.

State education leaders began sending the first of 16,000 Narcan kits to Arizona school campuses Wednesday.

This medicine can save lives if given soon after the onset of an overdose.

“We are so excited for these partners today to stand with you in the first step of saving a life, and there will be many saved,” said Dr. Holly Geyer, addiction medicine specialist TO Mayo Clinic.

Narcan has been used in 78% of calls to Arizona first responders suspected opioid overdoses.

The Arizona Department of Education says elementary, middle and high schools and charter schools in all 15 counties now have access to Narcan kits.

“My team created a format where schools could request this,” said Mike Kurtenbach, the principal School Safety for the Arizona Department of Education. “Today we have about 4,000 kits, clearly we have a lot more.”

The kits, provided by Arizona Department of Health Servicesthey are free in schools.

“It is given to the staff. We provide staff guidance. About one kit for every 300 students, but also one kit for every building, understanding that many of our high school campuses are very large,” Kurtenbach said.

In 2022, 2 percent of eighth-, 10th-, and 12th-grade students have used fentanyl at least once, according to data a statewide survey. It also said 10% of students said it would be easy to get.

The state, however, does not keep track of the number of students who overdosed during class.

“What we do know is that between 2021 and 2022, we lost 80 children in our state to overdoses. We know that last year there were over 180 children who had a near-fatal overdose. This is happening in schools,” Geyer said.

To apply, schools can visit Arizona Department of Education website. A full list of schools that have already applied can be found below.

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