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Kenmore mom's fight to get Narcan in Washington schools pays off

For years Corina Pfeil led the charge to put the overdose drug Narcan in the hands of students and teachers in Washington schools, and it finally paid off.

KENMORE, Wash. — Corina Pfeil is not a career politician, but she accomplished something this month that many people have not been able to do.

“If we can save a family from losing a child that was important to me,” Pfeil explained.

When Pfeil first heard about the drug Narcan she knew it was a game changer. One dosage can completely or partially reverse an opioid overdose. When she heard that a federal program could put the drug in local schools it seemed like a no-brainer.

Also see | South County Fire offers free Narcan training to combat opioid crisis

“It seemed to be a real easy workable solution to have Narcan in schools to help save lives,” Pfeil said.

But Pfeil quickly ran into a roadblock. She said as written the good Samaritan laws only protect first responders and medical professionals. Meaning students and teachers couldn’t treat students that were overdosing.

“The real issue in schools is that we don’t have nurses in every school. We don’t have the funding to put nurses in schools,” Pfeil said.

So, the mother of two young adult boys headed to Olympia. For the next two years, she advocated to have the law changed.

“I drafted a legislative proposal, and I started asking local officials for help,” she said.

Also see | Disturbing opioid trends emerging in rural Washington

Just this month, Governor Inslee passed Senate Bill 5380. School districts that qualify will now have the medication readily available and personnel will be able to administer the drug without written permission from parents.

“It’s such a simple workable solution and problem-solving solution that puts Narcan in schools within that four minute critical window which you have to save a life,” she said.

The hope is that you or your children will never need the drug. But for Pfeil and many others, there’s comfort in knowing it’s there.

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