Steuben County has not been left out of the opioid epidemic.
The county reported 348 overdoses in 2023 with 14 fatalities. Narcan, which reverses the effects of an overdose, was administered 105 times.
This year, there were 31 overdoses and zero fatalities through February. But, that does not mean the problem is going away.
March overdose data for the county was not available as of this report.
According to Darlene Smith, director of the Steuben County Public Health Department, overdose numbers are more like a “rollercoaster” in the county.
She said Narcan kits are accessible countywide in places like fire departments, gas stations, town halls, bars and restaurants.
“All across the community, we've placed dozens of wall units that hold four Narcan kits,” Smith said. “So, it's right there available, accessible if something should happen and someone is close by that can try to help out.”
The county is also working to get Narcan and Narcan training into every school district.
Smith said the access to a lifesaving medication like Narcan is about introducing an intervention because an overdose can happen anywhere.
“I'm not saying that the schools have been experiencing overdoses, but again, you just don't know who, when or where it will happen,” Smith explained. “And, with how prevalent drugs are in the community, how accessible they seem to be, this is really just a precautionary step to try to prevent a disaster from happening.”
Smith said she is not aware of any overdoses in county schools based on data from the county’s overdose detection mapping database.
The Steuben Prevention Coalition Opioid Committee said 12 of the 13 school districts in the county are now trained in the use of Narcan and have Narcan kits on site. The organization would not say which school is not trained or equipped with Narcan.
Connie Terry, coordinator for the committee, said in a statement:
"I’m happy to see so many public schools are willing to have their staff trained to administer Narcan in the event of an opioid overdose emergency, especially since fentanyl has become so pervasive in our society. Above all we want to keep students and school employees safe. Being trained and having Narcan available is a big step in that direction. My honest hope is that the Narcan is never needed, but being proactive is essential to saving lives."
WSKG reached out to seven school districts in Steuben County about this topic and only one responded.
According to Smith, there are many reasons why schools may be hesitant to talk publicly about Narcan availability.
One of the most prominent reasons is misunderstanding what exactly Narcan is and the stigma around drug use. Protecting minors and coordinating between communities and school boards are other reasons.
“So, I think that they've just got a lot of different areas and different people that they have to communicate with and kind of get on board so to speak with the real importance of Narcan and how it is an effective tool to help reverse overdoses and save lives,” Smith said.
The Corning-Painted Post Area School District’s nursing staff had Narcan training last fall.
Anne Stefanini, head nurse for the district, said the district was eager to implement training and get the kits.
“Just like we have EpiPens in schools, just like we have AEDs (automated external defibrillators), just like we have Stop the Bleed kits,” Stefanini explained. “Our committee immediately was passionate about [it]. We need to be able to have this proactively in a building and all of our buildings to be able to save anybody that's using our facility if we need to.”
Automated external defibrillators are used to help regulate the heart’s rhythm when someone is experiencing cardiac arrest.
Narcan kits contain: two doses of Narcan, gloves, a rescue breathing shield, and instructions and emergency overdose resources in the county.
The state education department recommends K-12 schools, whether public, non-public, vocational or charter, have Narcan available, but it is not a requirement.
However, state law does require all schools comply with education and public health regulations for obtaining and administering the overdose reversing drug, including quantities, access and training.
Stefanini emphasized that using Narcan in a moment of uncertainty is the best response.
“I think It's important to know that using Narcan is going to save a life,” she said. “So, I know a lot of people are scared to use it on somebody. Well, how do I know for sure they're overdosing? Similar to an EpiPen, is it really the right time to give it to a kid with an allergy?"
"Narcan can't hurt you. So if you're not sure, use it."
All public schools in the Corning-Painted Post district have at least two Narcan kits. There are four kits at both the high school and middle school. And every public school also has at least one nurse on staff with three nurses at the middle school and four at the high school.
Stefanini said the district wants to train more faculty and staff like coaches and administrators who work different shifts and are in multiple buildings at all times of the day. As of this report, there is no timeline for that training.
Steuben County Public Health offers free Narcan and Narcan training. More details can be found at steubencountyny.gov.
Produced with assistance from the Public Media Journalists Association Editor Corps funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people.