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November 16, 2015
For Immediate Release
Contact: Cynthia Vargas
(847) 377-3188
cvargas@lakecountyil.gov
Lake
County Opioid Initiative Spearheads Effort to Train School Nurses in Naloxone
Administration Countywide
Passage of Heroin Crisis Act/House Bill
0001 Prompts Implementation of School-Based Opioid Overdose Reversal Program
(Lake County, IL November 16, 2015) In
late August, the Heroin Crisis Act/House Bill 0001 became law in the state of
Illinois. This law, a comprehensive bill addressing the opioid crisis in
Illinois, includes a provision allowing school nurses to implement overdose
prevention response programs at any school in Illinois. Nurses can now be
trained to administer Naloxone to any student experiencing an overdose without
any legal barriers. Naloxone is an antidote to opioid overdose that is administered intramuscularly or intranasally.
“The
Lake County Opioid Initiative’s policy committee has helped pass a
bill that provides immunity for nurses within schools to have the ability
to administer Naloxone. We are in the midst of a opiate prescription pain
medication and heroin epidemic, and the unfortunate reality is that these
deadly drugs exist in our schools. Ensuring that the antidote is present in
school settings is a common-sense response,” said Mike Nerheim, Lake County State's Attorney and Cofounder of LCOI.
The
Lake County Opioid Initiative (LCOI) includes the membership of organizations
such as Live4Lali and the Lake County Health Department, which are
state-approved overdose prevention training entities (through Department of
Human Services/Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse). LCOI is aware that
opioid use is rampant in our county. There is not a community that has been
immune from opioid use disorder and overdose. LCOI is committed to ensuring
that all youth receive immediate care for any health issue, it is their
recommendation that all Lake County middle schools, junior high schools and
high schools implement this program immediately.
Adlai
E. Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, IL, is the first high school in Lake
County to have its nursing staff trained in Naloxone administration. Live4Lali
trained the school nurses on Tuesday, November 10, 2015. Each nurse in both
buildings received the auto-injectable version, EVZIO.
"Stevenson
believes in taking a proactive approach to the health of all of our
students. Though we hope never to have the need for Naloxone in our
building, we acknowledge that overdose is a reality for young adults in our
surrounding communities. We want to take every step to be appropriately
prepared,” said Dr. Cristina Cortesi, Substance Abuse Prevention
Coordinator, Adlai E. Stevenson High School.
The
Lake County Opioid Initiative’s mission is to develop, implement, evaluate and
sustain a multi-strategy countywide effort to prevent opioid abuse, addiction,
overdose, and death. The first Naloxone program was originally implemented
thanks to the swift work and cooperation of LCOI’s law enforcement committee.
To-date, 40 lives have been saved across Lake County due to the training of
police officers in the administration of Naloxone. The hope is that the
presence of trained nurses in the administration of Naloxone will have the same
lifesaving effect among students.
“Lake County
has seen deaths from opioid overdose to citizens as young as age 12. If a
school nurse can administer epinephrine for students suffering from allergic
reactions or insulin for students with diabetes, they should be able
to respond in the event of an accidental opioid poisoning," said Chelsea Laliberte, Executive Director of Live4Lali and Cofounder of LCOI. "There are
students with chronic pain issues who require prescription opiate pain relief
medications just as there are recreational opioid users among student bodies. Every
life is worth saving.”
“The
Lake County Regional Office of Education strongly supports the participation
and training of nurses in the administration of Naloxone to students. School
nurses are strongly encouraged to participate as this will benefit the
students of Lake County,” said Roycealee Wood, Regional Superintendent of Schools.
To learn more and sign up
for training, contact Terri Bartlett at terri@live4lali.org or 844.LV4.LALI
x805.
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Lake County State's Attorney's Office 18 N. County Street Waukegan, IL 60085 Phone: (847) 377-3000
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