Is Fentanyl Education Mandatory in Your School?
The following is not intended to be legal advice. For specific legal counsel please contact an attorney.
In 2024 fentanyl, a cheap, incredibly potent narcotic, ripped a gash through the nation. With overdose deaths involving fentanyl reaching 89,7401, states are increasingly mandating fentanyl education in schools to protect young people. This blog post examines the growing trend of these educational reforms and what they mean for educators.
Addressing the Overdose Crisis
Fentanyl education is increasingly mandated in schools across the US to combat the rising tide of overdose deaths. States like Alabama (via the Price Hornsby Act), Illinois, California, Oregon, and Washington are implementing reforms requiring or strongly encouraging fentanyl awareness instruction, particularly in grades 6-12. These mandates often align with existing drug and alcohol education programs, requiring schools to incorporate age-appropriate, research-based curricula addressing the dangers of fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and counterfeit drugs. While some states provide curriculum resources, others leave implementation to local districts, creating a need for effective educational programs like ACT on Drugs Presents a Conversation with The Drug Lady, which offers modules on fentanyl and other substances, lesson plans, and resources to help schools meet these new requirements and equip students with crucial knowledge.
The Price Hornsby Act: A Catalyst for Reform
The first of such reforms to catch our attention was Alabama’s Price Hornsby Act. Named after an Alabama teen tragically lost to Fentanyl overdose. We’ve written an article dedicated to the Price Hornsby Act in particular which can be found on our resources page. We then looked into other states that had similar laws.
State-by-State Fentanyl Education Laws: Alabama, Illinois, California, Oregon, and Washington
Along with Alabama, four other states, Illinois, California, Oregon, and Washington are leading the charge with mandated educational reforms focused on fentanyl prevention and awareness.
So what do these reforms mean for health teachers and administrators?
Alabama’s Mandate: 2024-2025 School Year Requirements
Alabama schools should have already implemented been impacted this 2024-2025 school year. With the passage of the Price Hornsby Act, fentanyl education is now mandatory for grades 6-12. Not only is it mandatory, but it must be “comparable to instruction provided for other drug and alcohol education and prevention programs.”2
“Commencing with the 2024-2025 school year, each local education agency shall annually provide research-based instruction related to fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness to students in grades six through 12 in a manner comparable to instruction provided for other drug and alcohol education and prevention programs.”
Illinois Law: Implementation for 2024-2025
Illinois schools are also required to implement Fentanyl education into their curriculum.
“Beginning with the 2024-2025 school year, the program shall include instruction, study, and discussion on the dangers of fentanyl in grades 6 through 12.”3
California: Integrating with Existing Health Curriculum
California Schools have a little more leeway when it comes to implementing Fentanyl education. They are only required to educate students on Fentanyl if their school already requires health education for graduation.
“If the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school requires a course in health education for graduation from high school, the governing board of a school district or the governing body of a charter school shall include, commencing with the 2026–27 school year, instruction in the dangers associated with fentanyl use.”4
Oregon Fentanyl Education: Curriculum Development by State Agencies
Oregon schools may have an easier time educating their students on Fentanyl. While Fentanyl education is a requirement starting with the 2024-2025 school year, government agencies will be charged with developing the curriculum.
“… the Oregon Health Authority, State Board of Education and Alcohol and Drug Policy Commission shall collaborate on developing curricula supplements to be implemented by school districts related to: (1) Dangers of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl or any substituted derivative of fentanyl, and counterfeit and fake drugs.”6
Washington Fentanyl Education: Encouraging Awareness and Providing Resources
Washington Fentanyl education laws seem the least stringent of the aforementioned states. Government agencies are responsible for developing learning materials for their schools. Schools are also “strongly encouraged” not constrained to educate students on Fentanyl starting with the 2024-2025 school year.
“The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall actively distribute the materials developed under subsection (1) of this section to school districts, public schools, educational service districts, and community-based organizations that provide extended learning opportunities, and strongly encourage the incorporation of age-appropriate materials in classrooms, as well as in family and community communications.”7
Effective Fentanyl Education Programs: Meeting the Mandates and Protecting Students
Though this is great progress in the fight against Fentanyl, teachers in Alabama, California and Illinois will have to find ways to educate their students. Schools nationwide have implemented various strategies when it comes to drug education with limited success.
ACT on Drugs Presents a Conversation with The Drug Lady: A Comprehensive Fentanyl and Drug Education Curriculum
ACT on Drugs Presents a Conversation with The Drug Lady is a research-based curriculum taught by former DEA forensic chemist Lynn Riemer. Lynn has been educating students about drugs in-person for over 20 years.
It’s an engaging online program, which meets SHAPE national physical education standards, follows the CASEL framework for whole person education and empowers students with the knowledge and tools they need to make informed decisions about drug use.
ACT on Drugs Presents a Conversation with The Drug Lady Curriculum Modules
We offer 10 teaching modules in both English and Spanish, built to integrate with existing curriculum, including:
- Narcotics and Fentanyl
- The Brain and Addiction
- Vaping and Over the Counter Products
- Hallucinogens
- Marijuana
- Stimulants
- 2 x Stories of Recovery (One of a person recovering from Narcotic and Fentanyl use.)
The curriculum also includes lesson plans, a pre/post test, study guides, student worksheets, and other resources.
Benefits: Equipping Students, Ensuring Compliance, and Saving Resources
By partnering with ACT on Drugs, schools can:
- Equip Students with Knowledge They Need to Make Good Decisions About Drugs
- Comply with the National Physical Education Standards
- Save Time and Resources
Contact ACT on Drugs: Schedule a Tour and Implement Fentanyl Education
We’d love to help you educate your students and ensure that your school is in compliance with Fentanyl education mandates.
If you’d like to learn more about the program please visit our homepage or contact us to schedule a virtual tour.
- https://www.progressivepolicy.org/u-s-drug-overdose-deaths-down-21-7-from-2023-to-2024/#:~:text=The%20decline%20is%20almost%20entirely,September%202023%20to%20August%202024. ↩︎
- https://legiscan.com/AL/text/HB280/id/2990141 ↩︎
- https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/publicacts/fulltext.asp?Name=103-0810 ↩︎
- https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB2429 ↩︎
- https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2023R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB238/Enrolled ↩︎
- https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2023-24/Pdf/Bills/House%20Passed%20Legislature/1956-S2.PL.pdf?q=20250129091037 ↩︎