Are high school students permitted to carry naloxone/narcan

[Anonymous]

FFS, nothing happens when you carry a gun around. Of course you can carry narcan.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not wanting to debate whether or not they should. If a high schooler is age > 14, trained in administration, would having a naloxone kit in their backpack be against MCPS policy? I'm aware that the schools have it on hand.

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcps-raises-awareness-about-fentanyl-with-narcan-demonstration/

Excellent hypothetical troll!

Ha! OP here. I really do have a high schooler who wants to carry naloxone in their backpack. We’re a family of rule followers though…so I wanted to make sure it wasn’t against any rule…

Why does a 14-year-old need to carry it in their backpack?

The schools are supposed to be stocked with it. It seems like an unnecessary burden to put on a 14-year-old to expect them, rather than the nurse, to save a classmate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not wanting to debate whether or not they should. If a high schooler is age > 14, trained in administration, would having a naloxone kit in their backpack be against MCPS policy? I'm aware that the schools have it on hand.

https://www.mymcmedia.org/mcps-raises-awareness-about-fentanyl-with-narcan-demonstration/

Excellent hypothetical troll!

Ha! OP here. I really do have a high schooler who wants to carry naloxone in their backpack. We’re a family of rule followers though…so I wanted to make sure it wasn’t against any rule…

Why does a 14-year-old need to carry it in their backpack?

The schools are supposed to be stocked with it. It seems like an unnecessary burden to put on a 14-year-old to expect them, rather than the nurse, to save a classmate.

My high school freshman often goes straight from school to other places. He wouldn't be carrying narcan on the assumption that it would be needed in school, but someplace after school. (Not OP)

[Anonymous]

I would not ask. I'd just write to the principal and tell them that it is happening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to PPs who pointed me to the relevant policies. Agreed that at school, medically trained adults would be able to handle it. DC wants to carry it in their backpack, and I just wanted to make sure that couldn't get them in trouble. I hadn't been thinking of it as an over-the-counter medication but now after reading the definition I think it qualifies.

Unless your child is a rule-follower, I would say: let DC carry it in their backpack, we hope they will never have occasion to use it, and if they get in trouble for it, raise a huge ruckus. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. But that's not a philosophy rule-followers are comfortable with, and in that case, I agree with the PP to ask MCPS for clarification.

Advil poster from above. I agree with that. BTW- My daughter’s friend used to carry around a tic-tac container full of Advil because she had frequent headaches and it was annoying to go to the school nurse. Friends would often ask her Advil if they felt sick. If my kids had frequent headaches I would do the same. I’d rather my straight A never in trouble kids risking “expulsion” for carrying around Advil than getting it from a “friend”, which creates its own issues. And in the super unlikely event my kid got in trouble for carrying Advil, I’d ask to take it to a lab to confirm the substance was really Advil and raise a huge ruckus about expelling a kid for taking Advil.

Dispensing Advil from an unlabeled bottle is not a good practice for anyone. Buy her a bottle with 24 pills in it. Refill it from your giant one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks to PPs who pointed me to the relevant policies. Agreed that at school, medically trained adults would be able to handle it. DC wants to carry it in their backpack, and I just wanted to make sure that couldn't get them in trouble. I hadn't been thinking of it as an over-the-counter medication but now after reading the definition I think it qualifies.

Unless your child is a rule-follower, I would say: let DC carry it in their backpack, we hope they will never have occasion to use it, and if they get in trouble for it, raise a huge ruckus. Easier to ask forgiveness than permission. But that's not a philosophy rule-followers are comfortable with, and in that case, I agree with the PP to ask MCPS for clarification.

Advil poster from above. I agree with that. BTW- My daughter’s friend used to carry around a tic-tac container full of Advil because she had frequent headaches and it was annoying to go to the school nurse. Friends would often ask her Advil if they felt sick. If my kids had frequent headaches I would do the same. I’d rather my straight A never in trouble kids risking “expulsion” for carrying around Advil than getting it from a “friend”, which creates its own issues. And in the super unlikely event my kid got in trouble for carrying Advil, I’d ask to take it to a lab to confirm the substance was really Advil and raise a huge ruckus about expelling a kid for taking Advil.

Dispensing Advil from an unlabeled bottle is not a good practice for anyone. Buy her a bottle with 24 pills in it. Refill it from your giant one.

The problem is that if a student took out an Advil bottle in class they could get expelled but put it in a tic tac container and no one will know. I agree that it’s ridiculous but when you have ridiculous rules that’s what happens.