Naloxone for opioid overdoses still faces hurdles in schools

States are increasingly turning to schools as they work to stave off the devastating opioid epidemic, which is claiming a growing number of lives and ravaging the lifespans of middle-aged white people. Yet local laws prevent some districts from stocking a life-saving antidote, and critics worry it won’t discourage drug use.

A 2015 law in Rhode Island took the most aggressive approach by requiring all public middle, junior and high schools be equipped with naloxone, which reverses the effects of an overdose when someone passes out.