‘Safety is our priority’: Muscle Shoals City Schools keeps Narcan at every school in the system

MUSCLE SHOALS, Ala. (WAFF) -Muscle Shoals City Schools is keeping the overdose-reversing drug Narcan in every single school in the system.

Lead Nurse Kelley Word says they keep it around as a precaution...just as they would an EpiPen.

“It’s very scary to have to have it in the schools,” Word said. “It’s better to have it here so that we are proactive in caring for our students. Administering Narcan can be the difference between life and death of a student or a staff member.”

That is until it is not just a precaution.

“Last year, we did have a student that came into the nurse’s office that was disoriented and confused and based on the symptoms of the student, the decision was made to administer the Narcan,” she said. The student was transported to the emergency room and fully recovered.

Superintendent Chad Holden says the move is a reflection of the times we are living in.

“Safety is our top priority,” Superintendent Holden said. “It’s just a reflection of the sign of the times that we’re living in with all the drugs that are, you know, available to kids and even marketed to kids now with fentanyl and synthetic drugs and opioids.”

School officials want parents to know they are just making sure that they have all the tools to keep their students safe.

Click Here to Subscribe on YouTube: Watch the latest WAFF 48 news, sports & weather videos on our YouTube channel!

Copyright 2023 WAFF. All rights reserved.