Naloxone Availability and Substance Abuse

Prevention in Connecticut Schools

Results from a Survey of Public School Districts

February 2022
Introduction
In February 2022, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) conducted a survey on the
policies and protocols related to substance use prevention efforts and training and availability of
naloxone (e.g., Narcan) in school districts. Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist which reverses
opioid overdose by displacing the opioid agonists from the receptor and blocking the effects on the
body.

Results
In total, 178 districts (approximately 89 percent) responded to the survey. Of those, 107 districts (60.1%)
indicated that they had naloxone in at least one school in their district. Districts that had naloxone in
schools were more likely to have it in the middle and high schools than in their elementary schools.
There were 22 districts with naloxone that did not have it in their elementary schools.

Table 1: Schools in which Districts Have Naloxone

Grade Range
School Grade Range All Some None Not Offered by
District
70.0% 5.6% 24.4%
Elementary 17
(63) (5) (22)
93.8% 0.0% 6.2%
Middle 10
(91) (0) (6)
97.9% 1.1% 1.1%
High 13
(92) (1) (1)
This table only includes the 107 districts that have naloxone in at least one school in the district.

Of the 178 respondents, 71 districts (38.9%) indicated that they do not have naloxone in any school in
their district. The most common challenge to having naloxone in the district was the perceived lack of
need for naloxone (Table 2). Among the 28 districts that indicated some other challenge, a few common
themes emerged. Many indicated that it was not a challenge per se but that they had not yet
determined the need for naloxone, were not aware that they could have it, were an elementary district,
or were okay with EMS having naloxone if necessary. Many indicated that though they did not have
naloxone presently, they were actively looking into getting it.

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 Table 2: What are the challenges to having naloxone? (check all that apply)

Type of Challenge Number of Districts

Administration concerns/objections 5

Barriers/challenges to obtaining naloxone 10

Community concerns/objections 6

Difficulty in obtaining a medical advisor standing order for naloxone 8

Other 28

Parent or guardian concerns/objections 9

Perceived lack of need for naloxone 33

Staff concerns/objections 4

The nurse’s office was by far the most common location to store naloxone as indicated by over 90% of
all districts with naloxone (Table 3). Districts that had naloxone at the school resource office (SRO) or
security also tended to store it in the nurse’s office.

Table 3: Where is the naloxone located? (check all that apply)

Location Number of Districts

Athletics Office 9
Automated Emergency Defibrillator (AED) Cabinet 13
Nurse's Office (accessible to staff) 45
Nurse's Office (locked) 56
Other 2
School Administration Office 9
School Based Health Center 7
School Resource Officer or Security 29

81 of 107 districts (75.7%) had policies/protocols for the administration of naloxone; 26 (24.3%) did not.

Table 4: Does your district have policies/protocols for the administration of naloxone?

Have Policies/Protocols? Number of Districts

Yes 81
No 26

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100 of the 107 districts with naloxone indicated that their nurses/nursing supervisors were trained in
the administration of naloxone. Of the 7 remaining districts, 5 store naloxone with their SRO or school-
based health center.

Training of nursing staff was done primarily by school nurse supervisor (36) or by others (42).

Table 5: Who delivered naloxone training for nursing staff? (check all that apply)

Training Delivered by: Number of Districts

Administrators 0
Emergency medical services 14
Fire department personnel 4
Local health department/district personnel 13
Naloxone training on CSDE website 3
Nursing staff 7
Other 42
Police department personnel 5
School nurse supervisor 36

In a little over half the districts (55) with naloxone, other school staff received training in the
administration of naloxone. Majority of them were either administrators or school resource officers.

Table 6: Other staff who received training (check all that apply)

Other Staff Trained to Administer Naloxone Number of Districts

Administrators 36
Office staff 8
Classroom staff (certified) 13
Classroom staff (non-certified) 7
Student support staff (counselors, social workers, psychologists, etc.) 14
School resource officers/security 26
Food Service staff 1
Custodial staff 4
Other (please specify) 10

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Districts obtained naloxone through a variety of means. While some procured it through their regional
behavioral health action organization, pharmacy, or local health department, others procured it through
other means (e.g., medical vendor, local physician, youth service bureaus).

Table 7: How did your school obtain naloxone? (Please check all that apply)

Naloxone Obtained From Number of Districts

Pharmacy 19
Regional Behavioral Health Action Organization 32
Local health department/district 17
Other 50

Only 5 (4.7%) of the 107 districts that possessed naloxone had administered it in the past five years.

The next set of questions asked about a district’s efforts around substance use/substance abuse
prevention.

• 126 (70.8%) of the 178 respondents have provided training in substance use/substance abuse
prevention that included opioids.
• Districts mostly trained nursing staff, administrators, student support staff, certified classroom
staff, and students.

Table 8: Who was trained in substance use/abuse prevention (check all that apply)

Staff Trained Number of Districts

Administrators 80
Classroom staff (certified) 59
Classroom staff (non-certified) 22
Custodial staff 6
Food Service staff 4
Nursing staff 107
Office staff 14
Other 11
Parents/Caregivers 18
School resource officers/security 46
Student support staff (counselors, social workers, psychologists, etc.) 76

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 Students 63
Of the 178 respondents, 71 districts (39.9%) indicated that they have a substance use prevention plan.

Table 9: Does your district have a substance use prevention plan?

Have Substance Use Number (%) of

Prevention Plan Districts
Yes 71 (39.9%)
No 107 (60.1%)

The substance use prevention plans at these 72 districts were developed with assistance from a range of
stakeholder groups. Most often stakeholders were internal (e.g., administrative leaders, student support
staff, nurse/nurse supervisors), while sometimes external stakeholders (e.g., community health
partners, local health authorities, local law enforcement) were also involved.

Table 10: Which entities assisted in the development of the district substance use
prevention plan? Check all that apply.

Stakeholders Assisting with Substance Use Prevention Plan Number of Districts

Administrative leaders 60
Student support staff (counselors, social workers, psychologists, etc.) 43
Teachers 23
School medical advisor 25
School nurse/school nurse supervisors 42
Community health partners 26
Emergency medical personnel 10
Local health authorities 13
Local law enforcement 20
Parents 9
Students 8
Community leaders 8
Other 13

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Most substance use prevention plans focused on the provision of substance use prevention
education to students. The next two most common elements of these plans were
communication to families and coordination with local authorities.

Table 11: What does the substance use prevention plan include? Check all that apply.

What does the substance use prevention plan include? Number of Districts
Provision of substance use prevention education to students 55
Communication to parents/guardians/families 42
Professional development for staff 36
Risk assessment 38
Coordination with local authorities (e.g., health, police, fire, etc.) 43

Conclusion
Over 60% of districts responding to the survey indicated that they had naloxone in at least one school in
their district. Districts that had naloxone in schools were more likely to have it in the middle and high
schools than in their elementary schools. The most common challenge to having naloxone in the district
was the perceived lack of need for naloxone. The opioid antagonist was almost always located in the
nurse’s office.

The following pages list the availability of naloxone in Connecticut school districts.

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Naloxone Availability by District
Note: NRR = No response received to the survey from the district by the date of this report

Has
District Name Code
Naloxone?
Achievement First Bridgeport Academy District 2850013 No
Achievement First Hartford Academy District 2880013 NRR
Amistad Academy District 2790013 No
Andover School District 0010011 No
Ansonia School District 0020011 Yes
Area Cooperative Educational Services 2440014 Yes
Ashford School District 0030011 Yes
Avon School District 0040011 Yes
Barkhamsted School District 0050011 No
Berlin School District 0070011 NRR
Bethany School District 0080011 Yes
Bethel School District 0090011 Yes
Bloomfield School District 0110011 Yes
Bolton School District 0120011 Yes
Booker T. Washington Academy District 2950013 NRR
Bozrah School District 0130011 Yes
Branford School District 0140011 Yes
Brass City Charter School District 2900013 No
Bridgeport School District 0150011 NRR
Bristol School District 0170011 Yes
Brookfield School District 0180011 Yes
Brooklyn School District 0190011 Yes
Canaan School District 0210011 No
Canterbury School District 0220011 Yes
Canton School District 0230011 Yes
Capital Preparatory Harbor School District 2970013 No
Capitol Region Education Council 2410014 Yes
Chaplin School District 0240011 NRR
Cheshire School District 0250011 Yes
Chester School District 0260011 No
Clinton School District 0270011 No
Colchester School District 0280011 No
Colebrook School District 0290011 No
Columbia School District 0300011 No
Common Ground High School District 2680013 Yes
Connecticut Technical Education and Career System 9000016 No

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 Has
District Name Code
Naloxone?
Cooperative Educational Services 2430014 No
Cornwall School District 0310011 No
Coventry School District 0320011 Yes
Cromwell School District 0330011 No
Danbury School District 0340011 Yes
Darien School District 0350011 NRR
Deep River School District 0360011 No
Derby School District 0370011 NRR
East Granby School District 0400011 No
East Haddam School District 0410011 No
East Hampton School District 0420011 Yes
East Hartford School District 0430011 No
East Haven School District 0440011 Yes
East Lyme School District 0450011 Yes
East Windsor School District 0470011 Yes
Eastern Connecticut Regional Educational Service Center (EASTCONN) 2530014 No
Eastford School District 0390011 No
Easton School District 0460011 Yes
EdAdvance 2420014 NRR
Ellington School District 0480011 Yes
Elm City College Preparatory School District 2890013 No
Elm City Montessori School District 2910013 NRR
Enfield School District 0490011 No
Essex School District 0500011 No
Explorations District 2720013 Yes
Fairfield School District 0510011 NRR
Farmington School District 0520011 Yes
Franklin School District 0530011 No
Glastonbury School District 0540011 Yes
Goodwin University Educational Services (GUES) 2310018 Yes
Granby School District 0560011 Yes
Great Oaks Charter School District 2940013 No
Greenwich School District 0570011 Yes
Griswold School District 0580011 No
Groton School District 0590011 Yes
Guilford School District 0600011 Yes
Hamden School District 0620011 Yes
Hampton School District 0630011 No
Hartford School District 0640011 Yes

Naloxone Availability and Substance Abuse Prevention in Connecticut Schools, February 2022
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 Has
District Name Code
Naloxone?
Hartland School District 0650011 No
Hebron School District 0670011 Yes
Highville Charter School District 2860013 No
Integrated Day Charter School District 2640013 NRR
Interdistrict School for Arts and Comm District 2650013 Yes
Jumoke Academy District 2610013 No
Kent School District 0680011 No
Killingly School District 0690011 No
Learn 2450014 No
Lebanon School District 0710011 Yes
Ledyard School District 0720011 Yes
Lisbon School District 0730011 No
Litchfield School District 0740011 NRR
Madison School District 0760011 Yes
Manchester School District 0770011 Yes
Mansfield School District 0780011 Yes
Marlborough School District 0790011 No
Meriden School District 0800011 Yes
Middletown School District 0830011 Yes
Milford School District 0840011 Yes
Monroe School District 0850011 Yes
Montville School District 0860011 No
Naugatuck School District 0880011 No
New Beginnings Inc Family Academy District 2800013 No
New Britain School District 0890011 Yes
New Canaan School District 0900011 NRR
New Fairfield School District 0910011 Yes
New Hartford School District 0920011 No
New Haven School District 0930011 No
New London School District 0950011 Yes
New Milford School District 0960011 Yes
Newington School District 0940011 Yes
Newtown School District 0970011 Yes
Norfolk School District 0980011 No
North Branford School District 0990011 Yes
North Canaan School District 1000011 No
North Haven School District 1010011 Yes
North Stonington School District 1020011 No
Norwalk School District 1030011 Yes

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 Has
District Name Code
Naloxone?
Norwich Free Academy District 9010022 Yes
Norwich School District 1040011 Yes
Odyssey Community School District 2630013 No
Old Saybrook School District 1060011 No
Orange School District 1070011 No
Oxford School District 1080011 Yes
Park City Prep Charter School District 2830013 NRR
Plainfield School District 1090011 No
Plainville School District 1100011 No
Plymouth School District 1110011 Yes
Pomfret School District 1120011 No
Portland School District 1130011 Yes
Preston School District 1140011 No
Putnam School District 1160011 No
Redding School District 1170011 Yes
Regional School District 01 2010012 Yes
Regional School District 04 2040012 Yes
Regional School District 05 2050012 Yes
Regional School District 06 2060012 NRR
Regional School District 07 2070012 Yes
Regional School District 08 2080012 Yes
Regional School District 09 2090012 Yes
Regional School District 10 2100012 Yes
Regional School District 11 2110012 Yes
Regional School District 12 2120012 Yes
Regional School District 13 2130012 Yes
Regional School District 14 2140012 Yes
Regional School District 15 2150012 Yes
Regional School District 16 2160012 Yes
Regional School District 17 2170012 Yes
Regional School District 18 2180012 Yes
Regional School District 19 2190012 Yes
Ridgefield School District 1180011 Yes
Rocky Hill School District 1190011 Yes
Salem School District 1210011 No
Salisbury School District 1220011 No
Scotland School District 1230011 No
Seymour School District 1240011 Yes
Sharon School District 1250011 Yes

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 Has
District Name Code
Naloxone?
Shelton School District 1260011 Yes
Sherman School District 1270011 NRR
Side By Side Charter School District 2700013 No
Simsbury School District 1280011 Yes
Somers School District 1290011 Yes
South Windsor School District 1320011 Yes
Southington School District 1310011 Yes
Sprague School District 1330011 Yes
Stafford School District 1340011 Yes
Stamford Charter School for Excellence District 2960013 NRR
Stamford School District 1350011 Yes
Sterling School District 1360011 No
Stonington School District 1370011 NRR
Stratford School District 1380011 No
Suffield School District 1390011 No
The Bridge Academy District 2690013 Yes
The Gilbert School District 9020022 Yes
The Woodstock Academy District 9030022 Yes
Thomaston School District 1400011 NRR
Thompson School District 1410011 Yes
Tolland School District 1420011 NRR
Torrington School District 1430011 Yes
Trumbull School District 1440011 No
Unified School District #1 3360015 No
Unified School District #2 3470015 Yes
Union School District 1450011 No
Vernon School District 1460011 Yes
Voluntown School District 1470011 No
Wallingford School District 1480011 Yes
Waterbury School District 1510011 Yes
Waterford School District 1520011 Yes
Watertown School District 1530011 No
West Hartford School District 1550011 Yes
West Haven School District 1560011 NRR
Westbrook School District 1540011 Yes
Weston School District 1570011 Yes
Westport School District 1580011 Yes
Wethersfield School District 1590011 Yes
Willington School District 1600011 No

Naloxone Availability and Substance Abuse Prevention in Connecticut Schools, February 2022
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 Has
District Name Code
Naloxone?
Wilton School District 1610011 No
Winchester School District 1620011 No
Windham School District 1630011 No
Windsor Locks School District 1650011 NRR
Windsor School District 1640011 Yes
Wolcott School District 1660011 Yes
Woodbridge School District 1670011 No
Woodstock School District 1690011 No

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