As teen overdoses from opioid use skyrocket, many schools still unprepared for emergency

LOS GATOS HIGH School Principal Kevin Buchanan felt helpless on the third day of the 2021 school year. It wasn’t the typical first-week-back chaos. Instead, Buchanan was sitting on the ground, cradling the body of a student — watching their face turn white, their body clammy, and their breaths become more and more shallow. 

The student was experiencing an opioid-induced overdose. “There was nothing I could do other than try to keep them awake until the paramedics arrived,” said Buchanan.