On the Front Lines of the Fentanyl Crisis

Fentanyl and the Opioid Epidemic

The opioid epidemic claims over 107,000 lives annually. Once a crisis of prescription opioids, overdose deaths are now overwhelmingly attributed to fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid 100 times as powerful as morphine. With the rise of illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) increasingly found in drugs like heroin, cocaine, and counterfeit pills, a much broader population is at risk of unintentional exposure and death. In recent years, teen overdose deaths tripled, and schools are increasingly reporting fatal overdoses.

A National Call to Action

In an October 2023 statement, the White House, alongside the US Secretary of Education, emphasized the need for schools to provide adequate, timely, high-quality opioid education and overdose response training to ensure the safety and well-being of their students.

School-Based Opioid Overdose Prevention Program

PEP partners with schools and school systems to implement a School-Based Opioid Overdose Prevention Program to ensure the safety of youth and help turn the tide in the US opioid crisis. Our comprehensive program focuses on:

Educating students, parents, and staff via PEP Talks
Establishing emergency response plans
Training staff in opioid overdose response

Naloxone Training and Distribution

PEP is a New York State-registered Opioid Overdose Prevention Program (OOPP) and is authorized to dispense bystander naloxone kits in the community. As an OOPP focused on protecting youth, PEP partners with schools and other community-based organizations to train adults and teens in opioid overdose response and naloxone administration.

Since 2022, PEP has educated nearly 1000 school-based learners in opioid overdose response and stocked over 100 schools with the life-saving antidote naloxone. After completing our training, learners report increased confidence in identifying an opioid overdose, confidence in their ability to administer naloxone, and a greater willingness to administer naloxone if needed.

Our training increases teachers’ confidence in their ability to recognize an opioid overdose and administer naloxone, while increasing the likelihood that they will respond in an emergency.

Fentanyl PEP Talk

Our Fentanyl PEP Talk informs teen and parent learners about relevant trends in the evolving fentanyl crisis, while training them in opioid overdose identification and overdose response. Our lesson imparts learners with critical knowledge and skills to respond to a life-threatening opioid overdose.

We teach learners the key steps for opioid overdose identification and response

Interested in training your teachers and protecting your students? Contact us!