Student Health

Annual Notice to Parents and Guardians Regarding Synthetic Drugs:

Assembly Bill 889 requires that California public school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools annually inform parents/guardians of the dangers associated with using synthetic drugs. Dangers to the health and welfare of students can occur when an individual uses synthetic drugs that are not prescribed by a physician, such as Fentanyl.

• Fentanyl, an opioid pain reliever that is 50 times as strong as heroin, is now being manufactured illegally by criminal organizations.
• This “illicit” fentanyl is mixed into street drugs like cocaine and heroin to make them more potent. It is also being pressed into counterfeit (fake) pills that look like prescription medications such as Percocet, Xanax, and Adderall.
• Youth and adults who purchase these drugs through social media or illegitimate online pharmacies may experience an opioid overdose, which can stop their breathing and lead to death.
• Fentanyl is synthetic, that is, it is formed from lab-made chemicals and not from naturally occurring ingredients. This makes the drug cheaper to manufacture and more profitable to sell illegally.
• Another synthetic drug, xylazine, is increasingly being added alongside illicit fentanyl. Xylazine is a strong veterinary tranquilizer. The combined effect of these two drugs on breathing and the heart can be extremely dangerous and further increases the risk of death. Options for Youth holds the health and safety of students as its highest priority. The school has implemented the Naloxone Program which is updated annually. We have proactively offered training to our administrators and staff to recognize an opioid overdose and respond using the opioid antagonist, naloxone. When given right away, naloxone can stop opioids from acting on the brain and restore breathing.

Our school sites are equipped with a naloxone rescue kit that can be used in the unlikely event of an opioid overdose on campus. This kit will be kept on campus, mounted in close proximity to the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and epinephrine auto-injectors, which serve similar purposes in treating rare medical emergencies.

SIGNS OF AN OPIOID OVERDOSE
CALL 911 if you see someone who is:

• Unable to wake up or respond to you
• Breathing slowly or not at all
• Making gurgling, choking, or snoring sounds

Please explore the Student Health tab on our website for more information about fentanyl an counterfeit pills. We encourage you to discuss this topic with your family in an age-appropriate way. If you believe your child is struggling with substance use, please reach out to the school counselor or administration..

For more information, please contact your school front desk

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