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Fargo Cass Public Health and Area High Schools & Middle Schools Working Together to Save Lives

Fargo Cass Public Health has joined forces with all Cass county high schools and middle schools to increase community-wide

11/15/2017

Fargo Cass Public Health has joined forces with all Cass county high schools and middle schools to increase community-wide prevention efforts in response to an opioid overdose emergency. This effort is sponsored by the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis (STR) grant through the North Dakota Department of Human Services.

A news conference has been scheduled for Thursday, November 16 at 10:00 a.m. at Fargo Cass Public Health, 1240 25th Street South, Fargo.

All high schools and middle schools in Cass County will begin carrying Narcan, a drug that reverses opioid overdose and saves lives.

No reported opioid overdose deaths of students, faculty or community members have occurred at these schools. The placement of Narcan is part of a preventive community-wide response to the opioid crisis. Some school faculty and staff members will receive training on how to administer Narcan and provide rescue breaths to potentially save someone’s life. Additional community-wide trainings will be offered in the coming months at Fargo Cass Public Health.

Fargo Cass Public Health and these area schools recognize the need for expanded awareness, education and access to naloxone (Narcan) due to the high number of opioid-related overdose deaths in the community and the nation.

Local Statistics:

  • FM Ambulance administered naloxone 99 times in 2016
  • Fargo Fire Department administered naloxone 16 times from July – December 2016
  • In Cass County, ND, there were 31 deaths related to opioid overdose in 2016 (Cass County Coroner)
  • As of September 2017, Cass County has seen 12 deaths related to opioid overdose (Cass County Coroner)

As the first and only FDA-approved naloxone nasal spray, NARCAN® Nasal Spray provides a ready-to-use opioid overdose emergency treatment. NARCAN® Nasal Spray is not a substitute for emergency medical care, and repeat applications may be necessary. Seek emergency medical assistance immediately after initial use, keeping the patient under continued surveillance.

School officials will be on hand to answer questions.