Northern Ontario school board determining if schools should supply naloxone

A school board trustee in northern Ontario wants to make sure students have help within reach in case of a drug overdose.

Kathleen Rosilius, a trustee representing Elliot Lake on the Huron Superior Catholic District School Board, asked the board last week to look into whether naloxone kits are needed in their schools.

Naloxone is the antidote for opioid drug overdoses.

Rosilius says she wants to make sure there is a need for these kits before the board makes a decision to purchase them.

"If we could do anything to prevent a death, a tragic death of any of our young people I think that's something we should not think twice about, but get it done, whatever it takes," she said.

"But I'll be interested in the report, because I think that's buzzing around all the school boards [in Ontario] right now. So I hope we all do the right thing."

Rosilius says it would potentially cost $120,000 to put the kits in schools, based on estimates from another school board. Other school boards, including Toronto and Ottawa have put kits in their schools.

She says so far, there haven't been any overdoses in schools in the Huron Board but adds she hopes the report will show whether there is a need for the kits.

"How can you not have it around if it's needed?" she said.

The report is expected at the next board meeting in March.