Gov. Kotek signs drug crisis legislation that could impact future school district fentanyl harm reduction strategies

Published 10:49 am Friday, August 11, 2023

On Tuesday, Aug. 8, Gov. Tina Kotek signed multiple bills designed to combat Oregon’s growing opioid drug crisis.

The wide breadth of legislation aims to curb opioid-poisoning overdose deaths, increase harm reduction resources like the life-saving overdose reversal drug naloxone, known as Narcan, and direct state agencies to develop drug overdose education and prevention curricula.

House Bill 2395, the “Opioid Harm Reduction Package,” is the primary bill and will make Narcan more widely available in the state.

According to the Oregon Health Authority, harm reduction “meets people where they are and supports their agency in preventing overdose and adopting safer practices.”

In 2021, 17 people between the age of 14 and 18 died of an unintended opioid overdose in Oregon, according to federal data. Clackamas County has seen a steady increase in synthetic opioid overdose deaths with hospitalizations increasing by 18% in 2021.

“Making this bill law today is a critical step toward saving the lives of people across our state who may be unintentionally poisoned by opioids,” said Rep. Maxine Dexter, D-Northwest and Downtown Portland, in a press release from the Senate Majority Office. “This bill puts tools in the hands of Oregonians everywhere to save lives and breaks down barriers to treatment.”

Between February 2022 and February 2023, deaths due to drug overdoses increased by 14.46% in Oregon, the third highest in the United States. According to the Oregon Health Authority, fentanyl is the leading cause of drug poisoning overdose deaths in the state. The number of seized counterfeit pills increased from 690 in 2018 to more than 2 million in 2022.

These counterfeit prescription pills are the main reason that accidental overdoses from fentanyl continue to rise; “fenta-pills,” as they are sometimes called, disguise the dangerous opioid as drugs like Xanax, Adderall and Oxycontin.

On June 15, a Lake Oswego teenager died from fentanyl poisoning after taking a tainted pill believed to be Xanax.

Public health officials often use the “chocolate chip cookie” metaphor to explain the dangers of counterfeit pills, especially for teenagers. Like the chocolate chips in a cookie, the amount of fentanyl laced in a counterfeit pill isn’t consistent and even a trace amount can lead to a deadly overdose from poisoning.

Narcan works to reverse the effects of an overdose, and, with the passage of HB 2395 and Senate Bill 1043, will be more readily available in Oregon.

“Our state and our nation are struggling through a terrible opioid overdose epidemic, driven by the abuse of fentanyl. SB 1043 comes at a critical time for our state and will save lives by providing essential medication to the people most at risk for opioid overdoses,” said Sen. Rob Wagner, D-Lake Oswego, in the press release from the Senate Majority Office.

Senate Bill 238 directs state agencies to develop drug overdose education and prevention curricula. The bill aims to raise awareness and improve harm reduction amongst the most vulnerable population when it comes to the risk of fentanyl poisoning and unintentional overdose.

Mental Health National conducted a mental health study for teens in the United States this year and determined that close to 8% of Oregon teenagers struggle with substance abuse.

“Too many kids are exposed to dangerous drugs and aren’t equipped with the tools and knowledge to navigate these experiences. We’re going to fix that by educating our students about the dangers of fentanyl and other synthetic opioids, so they can keep themselves safe,” said Sen. Chris Gorsek, D-Gresham, in the press release.

The Lake Oswego School District said that it plans to update resources and toolkits for staff. Currently, all school nurses and front office administrators are trained on Narcan use and harm reduction.

“The new Senate Bill 238 mandating fentanyl awareness education directs ODE and OHA to develop the educational standards for schools to follow. School districts have not yet heard from the state authorities on what will need to be added or changed in our curriculum and instruction,” the district said in an email to Pamplin Media Group.

Both the Lake Oswego and West Linn-Wilsonville school districts anticipate updating fentanyl education and response policies in light of the new legislation and growing concern about the impact of the deadly drug on Oregon teens.

“The district looks forward to learning more about recent legislation and how our schools can best educate and prepare students and families in the area of drug and alcohol prevention,” said Andrew Kilstrom, West Linn-Wilsonville school district’s director of communications. “The district has implemented fentanyl and other drug/alcohol response measures in schools in recent years, including training certain staff to administer Narcan at the secondary level. The district plans to educate students and families about the dangers of fentanyl throughout the school year.”

Kotek also signed House Bill 2757, which provides stable funding for the 988 Suicide Prevention & Behavioral Health Line; House Bill 2513, the “Hope and Recovery Bill” that strengthens harm reduction resources and fills service gaps created by 2021’s Measure 110; and House Bill 3610, which establishes a task force to determine if Oregon should increase alcoholic beverage taxes and how it uses tax revenue.