By Bay City News.
California middle and high school students will be protected by Melanie's Law, which mandates life-saving prevention and response resources for fentanyl overdoses, under legislation signed by the governor. Gavin Newsom on Friday.
Newsom announced Friday that he had signed Senate Bill 10, or Melanie's Law, introduced by Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose, which aims to prevent and respond to youth fentanyl overdoses through mandatory safety plans. school that require prevention, response, training and education. and consciousness.
According to Cortese's office, fentanyl is responsible for one in five youth deaths in California. He added that, in Santa Clara County, fentanyl deaths increased 863 percent between 2018 and 2021.
SB 10 requires all California public schools to provide training to school employees on opioid prevention and life-saving response under a formal plan known as a Comprehensive School Safety Plan, or CSSP.
Additionally, the bill establishes a state framework to ensure that all students and adults understand the increased risk of youth exposure to fentanyl and have access to the resources necessary to prevent and respond to fentanyl poisonings and overdoses.
“When we wrote this bill a year ago, we knew it would be our most important legislation in 2023. SB 10 was our top priority because fentanyl has left a trail of devastation throughout California, and our bill establishes a number of concrete measures. solutions to protect young people,” Cortese said in a statement Friday.
“We created a coalition of parents and educators who are not willing to stand by while another young life is lost… As we celebrate SB 10 becoming law, we honor Melanie Ramos, a brilliant teenager who lost her life to fentanyl. “Melanie’s Law will save the young people who will live in California for decades to come,” the senator added.
SB 10 is named after Melanie Ramos, a 15-year-old girl who overdosed on fentanyl and died in the bathroom of her high school in Hollywood in September 2022. At the time, Melanie and her friend had no idea they were taking fentanyl, Cortese's office said.
“Melanie was an incredible and talented young woman. His memory lives on with his friends and family, and his legacy will be felt throughout California. I miss her very much, but her memory and my love for her have given me the strength to speak out so that other mothers will not have to suffer what I am suffering,” Elena Pérez, Melanie Ramos' mother, said in a statement on Friday.
?I thank Governor Newsom for signing Melanie's Law. I urge all California middle and high school employees to take overdose prevention training and have Narcan available. Let's protect all young people,” Pérez added.
SB 10 would also provide school staff, students and families with information about the growing risk of opioids, educational materials and safety tips, in partnership with the California Department of Education.
“The Santa Clara County Office of Education is proud to cosponsor SB10 because we understand the need to equip every high school with the knowledge and tools to educate our students about the prevalence of fentanyl and, if necessary, save a student who overdoses,” said Dr. Mary Ann Dewan, county superintendent of schools, in a statement.
SB 10 was inspired by the Santa Clara County Fentanyl Task Force, a collaborative effort involving the Santa Clara County Office of Education, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, the Board of Santa Clara County Supervisors, Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services and the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors. Clara County Opioid Overdose Prevention Project.
The task force aims to combat the impact of fentanyl through a multi-faceted strategy, including raising awareness of its dangers in schools and providing life-saving opioid reversal medications.
“We started the Fentanyl Task Force in Santa Clara County almost two years ago after a 12-year-old girl died from fentanyl poisoning and the person who gave her the pill was arrested. Within a few months, we had Narcan in almost every school. district and ongoing training sessions,” said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez, co-chair of the Santa Clara County Fentanyl Task Force.
“When faced with a crisis, there is no time to waste. That's why we are expanding our distribution of Narcan in concert halls, bars, restaurants and by mail. Additionally, we are expanding prevention and public awareness campaigns designed for youth and young adults. adults and increase training of doctors in drug and addiction prevention. “We are using money from the opioid lawsuit settlement to finance much of the expansion,” Chavez added.
SB 10 is co-sponsored by the Santa Clara County Office of Education, the County of Santa Clara, the California Association of Student Councils, and the California Consortium of Addictions Programs and Professionals (CCAPP).
“With the right tools and resources, we will end the fentanyl crisis in California. SB 10 will prevent overdose deaths by empowering schools with strategies, resources and awareness,” said Sherry Daley, CCAPP Vice President of Government Affairs and Corporate Communications.
Support for SB 10 also includes Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond, California Teachers Association, California Federation of Teachers, Santa Clara County School Boards Association, Los Angeles County Office of Education , ACLU California and the California Organization of School Nurses.
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