Rapid Emergency System Planning for Overdoses iN School Environments
RESPONSE brings together professional and community leaders to raise awareness of the adolescent overdose crisis. Our goal is to provide life-saving tools, provide sample legislation, and educate people about opioid risks and overdose response.
Our Three Core Priorities
RESPONSE equips schools with the tools and training to prevent and respond to opioid overdoses through our three core priorities.
Awareness
Preparedness
Education
What is the RESPONSE Initiative?
The RESPONSE initiative (Rapid Emergency System Planning for Overdoses iN School Environments) is based on a successful initiative in Arizona that helps schools address the growing opioid threat by advancing three core priorities: Awareness, Preparedness, and Education. RESPONSE brings together leaders from medical, education, public health, and community organizations to raise awareness of the adolescents overdose crisis. Leaders prepare schools with clear policies and life-saving tools, assist states with legislation, and educate students, staff, and families about opioid risks.
By expanding awareness and preparedness through policies and naloxone access, RESPONSE seeks to ensure that schools are equipped to recognize risk and ultimately save lives.
Across the United States, drug overdose has become one of the leading causes of death among adolescents. Between 2019 and 2022, overdose deaths among adolescents ages 10–19 increased by nearly 300%, and today the nation loses roughly twenty adolescents each week to overdose. At the same time, more than 20% of high school students report being offered, sold, or given illicit drugs on school property—demonstrating how closely this crisis now intersects with school environments.
Priority Details
RESPONSE equips schools to act quickly, reduce risk, and protect students. Prepared schools save lives.
Awareness
Building awareness is the first step in preventing overdose. The RESPONSE Initiative works to increase understanding of opioid risks, fentanyl exposure, and the realities of adolescent overdose.
Through awareness efforts, schools are supported in:
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accurate, age-appropriate information about substance use and overdose risk
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between students, staff, and families about drug safety
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of how the current drug landscape—including fentanyl—affects youth
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so students feel safe seeking help or reporting concerns
Greater awareness helps school communities identify risks earlier and create safer environments for students.
Preparedness
Prepared schools are better equipped to respond quickly and effectively during an overdose emergency. RESPONSE helps schools develop clear, practical systems for overdose prevention and response.
Preparedness support includes:
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on establishing school overdose response protocols
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with emergency planning and response coordination
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to lifesaving overdose reversal medications where permitted
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to recognize overdose symptoms and activate emergency response procedures
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overdose response into existing school safety and health policies
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with developing overdose monitoring systems to monitor overdose cases and target resources
Prepared schools save critical minutes during an emergency.
Education
Education equips school communities with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent overdose and respond effectively when lives are at risk. RESPONSE provides evidence-based training tools designed specifically for school settings.
Educational support may include:
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for school staff on overdose recognition and response
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for student health education and prevention programming
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for engaging families in substance use prevention conversations
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that help schools incorporate overdose awareness into health and safety education
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to experts in healthcare and public health who can support school initiatives
Through education, students, educators, and families gain the knowledge and confidence needed to act quickly and support one another in preventing overdose.
How to Get Involved
The RESPONSE initiative is designed as a collaborative national platform, and meaningful progress depends on engagement from educators, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and community leaders. Organizations and individuals can help advance overdose preparedness by promoting the campaign, implementing school policies, supporting legislative efforts, and bringing prevention education to students and families within their communities.
To learn more, please reach out to us at info@naloxoneproject.com