COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — District 11 will now carry Narcan, a lifesaving medication, within its schools to help students.
In a letter to parents, the district said over the course of the pandemic, students have been turning to illegal substances to cope.
The district says it has seen an increase in suicide assessments along with increased levels of grief, dysregulation and aggressive behaviors.
According to the district, it has dealt with multiple student overdoses both on campus and in the community and several have resulted in the loss of student life.
A few students were saved by educators and SROs who performed life-saving practices.
The district also mentioned that students were purchasing what they believe are OxyContin, Percocet or Xanax pills on social media.
However, the district stated that these are fake pills with a deadly synthetic drug, fentanyl.
Fentanyl is up to 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine.
"While none of us needs one more challenge to overcome during this time, we must face the fact that opioids and fentanyl have entered El Paso County, and our students are seeking fake medications laced with these fatal drugs trying to escape the pain they face," the district said in the letter.
In partnership with the Mayor's Office, D11 is launching a social media challenge to help families think differently about social media.
Alongside the social media challenge, D11 placed Narcan within its schools on Jan. 4.
The district has prepared itself to confront the challenge by working with its nurses and the Board of Education.
D11 also plans to launch a Fake and Fatal campaign in the community on March 17.
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