SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) - Starting next school year, every state-required health course will include mandatory fentanyl education to high school students.
The new law supported by State Senator Laura Ellman took effect Jan. 1 and will start with the 2024-2025 school year.
“In order to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic on all fronts, we need to educate our most vulnerable populations, which includes young people,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “The age of fentanyl exposure is younger than we think, and I am pleased this law implements such indispensable education for students.”
House Bill 3924 requires health courses for high school students in each school district to show the dangers of fentanyl and fentanyl contamination through instruction, study and discussion.
“The increase in opioid-related deaths each year signals to Illinoisans that more underlying issues need to be addressed,” said Ellman. “In the next school year, students across the state will begin to learn more about fentanyl addiction, which can empower them to set a healthier example for others and hopefully lead to fewer overdoses and deaths.”
Copyright 2024 WAND TV. All rights reserved.
