Legislation Detail
SB 219 NALOXONE NASAL SPRAY IN HIGH SCHOOLS
Actions: [4] SCC/SEC/SFC-SCC-germane-SEC [6] DP-SFC
Scheduled: Not Scheduled
Senate Bill 219 (SB 219) appropriates one million dollars ($1,000,000) to the Public Education Department to make naloxone nasal spray available in high schools.Legislation Overview:
Current Law:
The PED intends to prevent opiate related overdose deaths by making Naloxone available in its high schools. Naloxone is a medication found to reverse the effects of overdoses from an opiate-related drug such as fentanyl (opioid antagonist). New Mexico appears to be the first to do wastewater drug testing at all public high schools. In December, 2023, the NM Environment Department released the results of these tests at 24 public high schools in Albuquerque and Rio Rancho. Twenty-one of the 24 schools’ waste water tested positive for cocaine and/or its byproduct, and 17 tested positive for fentanyl and/or its byproduct. Critics have raised questions about the accuracy of testing protocols and attribute some of the results to use of prescription drugs for learning disorders.