Central Greene considers drug antidote
WAYNESBURG – Central Greene School Board is debating whether to stock the drug overdose antidote known as naloxone, or Narcan, in the schools.
The board agreed Tuesday to move forward with discussions over whether the antidote should be placed in schools, although Superintendent Brian Uplinger said there should be more deliberations on the pros and cons before any action takes place.
Questions brought forward about the Narcan initiative made by the state Department of Education revealed two sides to the issue.
One side argues schools should be prepared if an overdose occurs. The other side claims carrying the antidote could create an excuse for students who have an addiction problem, Uplinger said.
“We aren’t even allowed to give a student Tylenol for a headache, but we are allowed to use Narcan if the situation arises,” Uplinger said. “There definitely needs to be clear policies and procedures and more discussion before any action takes place.”
Other issues included the policies and procedures that would need to be written, such as who would administer the antidote, where would it be stored and under what circumstances would it be administered.
Also Tuesday, the board approved an auction through Joe R. Pyle Complete Auction and Realty Service of Perry Elementary School and acreage. Mineral rights are not included. Kevin Barnhart voted against the measure.