NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Every Metro Nashville public school will be equipped with Narcan starting this school year, providing a critical resource that officials hope will never be needed.
The nasal spray, designed to reverse opioid overdoses and save lives, will be available in 138 MNPS schools - from elementary to high school levels.
Nashville's night mayor, Benton McDonough, spearheaded the initiative after previously securing Narcan boxes for all Nashville sporting venues.
"There's always been this stigma around overdoses and I think the more we get out there and talk about it, the more people have positive response to it," McDonough said.
The life-saving medication will be housed in "OneBox" units installed in community gathering spaces like gymnasiums, auditoriums, and stadiums. Each box contains two doses of Narcan and features a screen that plays an instructional video during an opioid overdose emergency.
"Especially when you're dealing with the public school, you're dealing with people from all walks of life," McDonough said.
For McDonough, the project represents a meaningful return to his roots. He visited his alma mater, McGavock High School, to help install one of the Narcan boxes in the gymnasium.
"I did have some really amazing teachers here at McGavock," McDonough said.
He noted that his fondest high school memories involved spending time in the gym - now the fitting location for one of these life-saving resources.
"I'm excited to be doing something for the school that gave me so much," McDonough said.
While the Narcan boxes represent an important new safety measure, McDonough emphasized that the core values of Nashville's schools remain unchanged.
"If you want them to do well and succeed and care about their future, that's what I had when I came to school here, and that's one thing that hasn't changed - knowing there are people here that really care," McDonough said.
This story was reported on-air by Amanda Roberts and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Have you seen the new Narcan boxes being installed in Nashville schools or have thoughts about this initiative? I'd love to hear from you. You can reach me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com. Share your perspectives, and I'll continue reporting on important school safety measures in our community.
