Grade 12 Learning Alternatives students Alexa Meekison, left, and Dannika Gilbert demonstrate how to administer naloxone.
By Mandy Moraes, NLPS Staff
All secondary schools within Nanaimo Ladysmith Public Schools will soon be equipped with critical tools to help save lives.
This includes the installation of automated external defibrillators (AED) and naloxone kits in visible areas of the schools, along with staff training on how to use and inspect the equipment routinely.
Next September, the same lifesaving interventions will be added to middle and elementary schools.
The initiative follows a mandate by the Ministry of Education, which requires public schools to prepare for unexpected health emergencies, such as heart attacks or drug overdoses.
A recent training session equipped NLPS principals and teachers with hands-on experience in using AEDs and administering naloxone.
AEDs deliver controlled electric shocks only if the device detects an abnormal heart rhythm and also provide audible step-by-step instructions for use. Naloxone, which temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and only affects the body if opioids are present, comes with printed instructions.
While the government order specifies that the equipment be openly available during an emergency, students are not expected to administer first aid.
AED and CPR training was added to the Grade 10 curriculum this year, although naloxone training was not included. However, Griffin Russell, the school health promoter with Island Health, said NLPS Grade 12 students will receive Naloxone training in a classroom setting before the end of the year.
“I think everybody should know how to administer naloxone,” said Alexa Meekison, Grade 12 Learning Alternatives student. “They can come off as scary but knowing the good they do is important for kids.”
Meekison and classmate Dannika Gilbert were both recipients of Island Health’s 2024 Youth Harm Reduction Award for their efforts in promoting Naloxone awareness and training. The duo has presented to an array of audiences, including the public, district principals, and students.
“I’ve yet to come across someone overdosing, but I’m sure if I did, I would be a bit scared. But just knowing you can do it and help save somebody’s life … Most adults don’t really know how to administer naloxone,” Gilbert said.
During their presentations, Meekison and Gilbert noted that their classmates were engaged, respectful, genuinely interested, and often asked good follow-up questions. They emphasized to students that the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act offers legal protection for those who experience or witness an overdose and call 911.
“Because the most important thing is the person in danger,” Meekison said.