A new bill aimed at providing resources to schools and educators to help prevent overdoses has been introduced in the Kansas legislature. According to the Kansas Reflector, “between 2020 and 2023, 48 children died because of fentanyl, according to the Kansas State Child Death Review Board, with 74% of child drug-related deaths caused by fentanyl.”

The bill would provide Naloxone, an overdose prevention medication, to schools for use in emergency situations.

Rep. Pat Proctor, a Leavenworth Republican, testified in favor of the bill, saying roughly 30 to 50 people overdose per year in Leavenworth. Proctor, who has served in the House since 2021, said roughly a dozen of those are overdose deaths.

“I didn’t understand the scope of this problem when I came here. This is happening to our kids and in our schools, too,” Proctor said. “The problem isn’t getting worse, but it ain’t getting better.”

Amber Saale-Burger testified to the committee about losing her daughter and grandson’s father to pills laced with fentanyl. She said the concept of stocking naloxone is the same as automated external defibrillators or fire extinguishers in schools.

“Naloxone needs to be as readily available as possible,” she said. “We keep fire extinguishers in the house not because we plan to start a fire, but because if it happens we can put it out. Naloxone should be treated no different.”

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