Durango’s 9R school district has proceeded cautiously on whether to permit students to carry an opioid-reversal drug called Narcan. The district has expressed concerns about possible adverse situations if Narcan is used improperly. Medical experts told us there aren’t any overdose scenarios where Narcan shouldn’t be used.

At Durango’s 9R School District, administrators have taken a careful and measured approach to the question of whether to allow students to carry Narcan on campus. One charter high school that operates outside the district has given students a little more leeway on the issue.

Students launched a harm-reduction campaign in Durango to push for permission to carry Narcan on campus and expressed concern about the slow response of administrators. Superintendent Karen Cheser told us that allowing students to carry Narcan is a complex issue, but there has been progress.

After the Durango community lost one teenager to an opioid overdose, many high school students wondered what could be done to prevent another. As a harm-reduction movement emerged, students began pushing for permission to carry Narcan in school. After months of back and forth with school district administrators, teens decided to take their fight for drug policy change public.

A single overdose event in 2021 was the spark that ignited a teen harm reduction movement in Durango. This is an account of two teens who were close to the individuals involved in that event.