During National Prevention Week, a focus on opioid preparedness in New York City schools highlights how readiness can prevent tragedy. Opioid overdose deaths among New Yorkers ages 15 to 24 nearly doubled, rising from 48 in 2019 to 87 in 2022, according to the NYC Chief Medical Examiner and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. A collaborative model between Family Health Centers at NYU Langone and NYU Langone’s Prevention Education Partnership (PEP) is building a “whole-school” approach to overdose prevention that includes updating emergency response plans, training staff and school communities to recognize overdoses and use naloxone, ensuring the medication is accessible, and strengthening pathways to behavioral health and substance use support.
Training and Community Impact
The program has trained more than 500 school staff and reached 350 schools across the city. PEP’s broader work since 2016 has reached more than 15,000 students across 350 schools, with nearly 1,000 school-based learners trained in overdose response since 2022, and more than 60 schools equipped with naloxone. A key component is PEP Talks: Doctors and Teens in Conversation, a curriculum that connects students with medical professionals to discuss substance use, safety, and prevention, providing clear information about emerging risks including fentanyl.
Screening and Early Intervention
SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment) is an evidence-based approach to identify high-risk substance use and connect individuals to care before issues escalate. NYU Langone’s School Health Program is incorporating SBIRT and validated screening tools into routine care, building workflows, training staff, and creating referral pathways to ensure students receive timely support. Support from the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation is helping expand this model across New York City schools.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.amny.com/opinion/preparedness-prevention-new-york-city-schools/