Sánchez, Chavez-DeRemer introduce bipartisan bill to prevent youth opioid overdoses

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA) and Congresswoman Lori Chavez DeRemer (R-OR) introduced the bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act of 2023, legislation that would provide children with the education to protect them from the dangers of synthetic opioids.

“As the mother of a high schooler myself, it is heartbreaking to hear of children overdosing on synthetic opioids in our elementary, middle, and high schools,” said Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez. “Over the last several years, the number of children overdosing on opioids has increased. Now is the time for Congress to act. The Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act will give schools the resources to provide our children with the education necessary to protect them from the dangers of synthetic opioids. This is legislation that will help save lives and prevent heartbreak in families across the country.”

“Fentanyl continues to pose a serious threat to our children and young adults. Since they spend a lot of time in the classroom, it’s the responsibility of local, state, and federal leaders to ensure schools have the resources needed to educate students on the dangers of these illicit drugs. I’m honored to join Congresswoman Sánchez on this bipartisan bill to combat the fentanyl crisis by bolstering overdose awareness and prevention efforts in our nation’s schools,” said Congresswoman Lori Chavez-DeRemer.

This bill would authorize a new $7 million grant program for Drug Free Communities Coalition (DFC) grantees to compete for.

Specifically, this bill will:

• Allow DFC grantees to apply for additional funding to partner with elementary, middle, and/or high schools, in order to plan, implement, and evaluate comprehensive school-based substance use prevention programing.  
• Allow the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy to oversee the coordination and implementation of the grants.

Since 2021, over 1,550 children have died from a fentanyl-related overdose, 30 times the number seen in 2013. Between 1999 and 2021, over 5,000 children and young adults died from a fentanyl-related overdoses, of which nearly 90% of them were between 15 to 19 years.

In addition to Reps. Sánchez and Chavez-DeRemer, the Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act is cosponsored by Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jasmine Crockett (D-TX), Raul Ruiz (D-CA), Angie Craig (D-MN), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL), Shri Thanedar (D-MI), Bill Keating (D-MA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Andrea Salinas (D-OR), and Michael Lawler (R-NY).

This legislation is also endorsed by the Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA).

Apart from introducing the Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act, Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez is also a proud member of the Fentanyl Prevention Caucus and the Bipartisan Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Task Force.  

You can read the full text of the bill here.
 

Correction: An earlier press release stated that the “legislation would allocate existing funds from the Drug Free Communities Program (DFC) within the CDC.” The release has since been corrected to state that the legislation would authorize new funds for Drug Free Communities Coalition (DFC) grantees to compete for.

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