HORRY COUNTY, S.C. (WBTW) — Narcan will be available in Horry County schools when students return on Monday, according to the district.

All schools will receive four applications of Narcan, which rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, the district said. It is being provided by the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control.

Horry County Schools spokesperson Lisa Bourcier said Narcan was discussed at the board of education work session on Monday.

The Narcan will be stored in the school nurse’s office, and the nurses will receive training on how to administer the drug and then their staff members, the district said.

DHEC released a statement Wednesday about how DHEC is partnering with South Carolina schools to make sure Naloxone, also known as Narcan, is accessible to schools across the Palmetto state.

Earlier this year, according to the release, South Carolina Legislature passed House Bill 4122, which Governor McMaster signed into law, authorizing DHEC, in consultation with South Carolina Department of Education, to create and update a list of lifesaving medications school nurses and trained staff are authorized to use in schools and provide guidelines for each medication.  

For the 2023-24 school year, DHEC is authorizing the use of Narcan nasal spray and albuterol inhalers along with the previously approved epinephrine auto-injectors, also known as EpiPen.  

According to the release, albuterol is used to treat or prevent difficulty breathing, wheezing, shortness of breath, coughing, and chest tightness in patients with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, and other lung diseases. Epinephrine is used to treat severe allergic reactions.  

Two boxes of naloxone, each containing two doses for a total of four doses per school, have been made available for pickup to every K-12 school in South Carolina who wants it, the release said. The funds for the supply being made available to schools was awarded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s cooperative agreement called Overdose Data-to-action and there is no cost to the schools for the Narcan.

The availability of naloxone, also known as Narcan, in South Carolina schools comes amid an increase in drug overdose deaths in the state.

Opioids continue to be the primary cause of overdose deaths in recent years, contributing to 1,733 of the 2,168 fatal overdoses in 2021, according to the release.

The new law allows life-saving medication to be administered to not only students, but also to staff, parents and campus visitors as necessary, to help save lives in school communities. It can also be used within the school or at any school-associated activity or event, such as sporting events.