CA, US & World
Fight Against Fentanyl: Desert School Districts Taking Steps to Ensure Safety on Campuses
“Drugs are finding their way to our kids. There are drugs in our middle schools, and certainly in our high schools,” Mike Hestrin, Riverside County District Attorney, shared. “I think that the school districts are waking up to this.”
Palm Springs Unified School District is one of them.
Two weeks ago, PSUSD became the first district in the desert to provide doses of Narcan sprays to all of its 28 schools.
But this was months in the making.
“A few months ago, one of our board members told the story at one of the board meetings about a dear friend of hers who had passed away from fentanyl,” Laura Dyson, Director of Health Services at PSUSD, explained. “So at the direction of Dr. Swize, our superintendent, we decided to push forward with getting Narcan on each of our campuses, which is the opioid antagonist that can help in the case of an overdose. We’re really proud to say that we’ve put Narcan onto every single campus and trained staff members across every single one of our campuses on how to use this medication.”
Now, each campus has at least two doses of Narcan attached to their portable AEDs.
Select staff have already been trained on how to use these sprays, but their goal is to get as many people prepared as possible.
“We’ve opened it up to select administrators, and anybody really, that’ll do it,” Dyson continued. “So, I’ve got trainings coming up on October 12 and November 2 for any volunteers or anybody that would like to learn how to give it right.”
This drug is ever changing and now reports of rainbow fentanyl are coming into the light.
With Halloween right around the corner, Dyson wants parents to be aware.
“It looks like candy,” she said. “It looks like Smarties or it looks like some of the most common candies and so we just want parents to be aware.”
And so does the District Attorney.
“I tell my own kids, you cannot take a single pill that was not prescribed to you by your doctor, because you have to assume that it has fentanyl in it,” Hestrin said. “It’s not too young to say, look, someone someday may offer you something, you can’t take it.”
Coachella Valley and Desert Sands Unified School Districts are also taking action.
On September 30, DSUSD sent out a message to families saying they are in the process of getting Narcan to schools and training staff on how to use it.
This week, CVUSD will do the same.
Coachella Valley Unified is going to take up this issue of training staff on how to use the spray in their board meeting this Thursday.
By: Carmela Karcher
October 10, 2022
Latest Instagram Posts
Nearly a year after wildfires tore through Mountain Center, the scars are still visible along the Palms to Pines Highway. Now, fire crews are working to repair those burn areas and reduce the risk of flooding, erosion and mudslides when heavy rain arrives. The work includes fire-line suppression repairs, water bars and other measures designed to slow rainwater and keep burned soil from washing away. CAL FIRE Riverside County Battalion Chief Ryan Lubin says the steep terrain, dry brush and limited access continue to create challenges for mountain communities. With El Niño conditions expected to bring periods of heavy rain, officials say preparing now could help protect homes and communities from the aftermath of wildfire. The message from firefighters: preparation can save lives. Read the full story at NBCPalmSprings.com. #MountainCenter #Highway74 #PalmsToPines #CALFIRE #Wildfire WildfireRecovery FireSafety CoachellaValley SanJacintoMountains
Gas prices in Riverside County are climbing toward $6 a gallon — and that’s more than $1 higher than this time last year. A 15-gallon fill-up now costs about $86, leaving many drivers wondering how much longer they can absorb the rising cost. On this week’s Roggin Report, Fred Roggin and the panel debate how expensive gas is changing the way people travel, work and live — and why prices are so much higher here. Watch the full conversation at NBCPalmSprings.com. #RogginReport #FredRoggin #GasPrices #RiversideCounty #CoachellaValley
As the Lindsay Clancy trial begins to close, discussions regarding postpartum mental health and postpartum care have began to draw attention to the level of care needed after childbirth. Maria Noble Valdez looked at this discussion locally with a mental health expert and mom here in Coachella Valley. #lindsayclancytrial #pospartum #mentalhealth #760 #nationalnews
EVEN PARKING HAS A VIP SECTION? A mall in Bakersfield is charging shoppers up to $10 a day for preferred parking spots closer to the entrance. So we had to ask: Would you pay for a better parking spot? And could paid parking eventually come to Valley malls? Fred Roggin and the panel weigh in on this week’s Roggin Report. Would you pay $10 for a prime parking spot? #RogginReport #FredRoggin #CoachellaValley #PalmSprings #Parking
📞 Call 760.466.0800 or visit DAPHealth.org to schedule your appointment today! Flu viruses change every year, and getting vaccinated is the best way to strengthen your immune system, lower the risk of severe illness or hospitalization, and protect your loved ones. Sponsored by: DAP Health
A wedding day they’ll never forget. 💍🌊 A couple in the Philippines refused to let monsoon flooding wash away their special day — exchanging vows while standing waist-deep in floodwaters. Talk about making a splash on your wedding day! #WeddingDay #Philippines #Flooding #Monsoon #Wedding #Love #NBCPalmSprings
Idyllwild’s Mayor Max III is turning four! Yes, you read that right — Idyllwild has a canine mayor, and Mayor Maximus Mighty-Dog Mueller III is celebrating his fourth birthday this week. Max is part of a tradition that began in 2012, when the mountain community first elected a dog as mayor. His “campaign donations”? Belly rubs and dog treats. Mayor Max’s birthday celebration is happening Saturday, September 5, at Mountain Paws in Idyllwild, and the community is invited. Come celebrate the mayor — and maybe bring a treat. #NBCPalmSprings #Idyllwild #MayorMax #MayorMaxIII #PalmSprings CoachellaValley DogsOfInstagram DogMayor CaliforniaNews
☕️ Social Time with Thalia & Jerry
More than 2,000 rescues — and the year isn’t over yet. Santa Clemente lifeguards are keeping a close eye on the Pacific as they prepare for potentially stronger surf and bigger waves this winter. From Tower Zero, lifeguards monitor the entire beach and use cameras to spot trouble in the water. One of their biggest concerns? Rip currents, which can pull swimmers far from shore. With more rescues already this year than all of last year, lifeguards say the key is simple: be ready before someone needs help. #SanClemente #Lifeguards #OceanSafety #RipCurrents #BeachSafety SurfSafety SouthernCalifornia PacificOcean NBCPalmSprings
The Salton Sea is at a crossroads. From a massive restoration project bringing habitat back to the shoreline, to a potential lithium boom, and the new Salton Sea Conservancy, its future is being shaped right now. We’re taking you behind the scenes to explore what comes next for the Salton Sea. In our newest 30-minute report, go behind-the-scenes with the state’s conservation team, learn about updated timlines from lithium executives, and hear how former political leaders paved the way. Restoring the Salton Sea: Progress, Promise and Pressure. Streaming this Sunday on NBC Palm Springs. #saltonsea #lithiumvalley #saltonseaconservancy #marybono