Red Ribbon Week
Red Ribbon Week is an annual youth drug prevention campaign intended to build awareness of drug use through education and encourages youth to abstain from drug use. This year Red Ribbon Week will be held October 23-31. This year's theme is "Be Kind to Your Mind. Live Drug Free". Please visit the Red Ribbon Campaign website for more information and to access free flyers and guides.
Opioids are a class of drugs that include heroin and certain types of pain relievers that can be obtained through a prescription from a doctor. In Montana, the majority of drug overdose incidents in adults are attributed to opioid use. In 2021, 12% of Montana high school students reported using a prescription pain medication (e.g. codeine, Vicodin, OxyContin, Hydrocodone, Percocet) without a doctor’s prescription at some point in their life, and 1.5% of students self-reported heroin use (2021 YRBS data).
Naloxone in schools: To combat the potentially life-threatening effects of opioids, in 2017, Montana passed House Bill 323 creating MCA 20-5-426, which allows schools to maintain a supply of opioid antagonists, such as Naloxone, in the event of an emergency overdose situation. Opioid antagonists block the effects of opioids on the brain and can restore the normal brain and breathing function of a person who is experiencing an overdose thereby saving his/her life.
Naloxone training: To support schools in their use of Naloxone, Best Practice Medicine, in partnership with the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, offers free training on the safe handling and use of Naloxone. Interested participants can opt to become certified to safely carry and use Naloxone, or be trained as a Naloxone Master Trainer, allowing them to also train others on the safe handling and use of Naloxone.
If your school is interested in establishing policies for maintaining opioid antagonists, you can get more information by contacting Emma Perry, Health Education Specialist for opioids with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (emma.perry@mt.gov). You can also visit Best Practice Medicine’s website to learn more about free Naloxone training and be better prepared to respond to a potential opioid overdose.
For more information and other school-based strategies please check out this resource, Awareness, Education, and Collaboration: Promising School-based Opioid Prevention Approaches.
For more information and resources please visit the OPI’s Alcohol and Drug Prevention website.
Youth Vaping Prevention Presentations Available to Montana Schools
More than one in four (25.5%) Montana high school students report they currently use e-cigarettes, leaving Montana tied with Louisiana for the second highest prevalence of current e-cigarette use among high school students, according to the most recent National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. West Virginia posted the highest prevalence of youth e-cigarette current use at 27.5%, and Utah youth reported the lowest at 9.7%. The national average is 18%.
In every state but one, girls had a higher incidence of use than boys, and similar to every other tobacco product, use increases with age. In Montana, 32% of high school seniors report current e-cigarette use.
Nicotine, in any form, is dangerous for youth. The chemical harms development by damaging the parts of the brain that control attention, learning, mood and impulses and priming the brain for addiction to other drugs in the future.
The OPI offers free age-appropriate student vaping prevention presentations for grades 4 through 12. These presentations are designed to supplement and reinforce what schools are already teaching students about the harmful effects of vaping.
If you'd like to inquire about classroom presentations for your school follow this link or contact Kris Minard at kminard@mt.gov or 406.444.0785.
The OPI is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to people with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation, require an alternate format, or have questions concerning accessibility, contact the OPI ADA Coordinator, 406-444-3161, opiada@mt.gov, Relay Service: 711.
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