Narcan pens for kids to use on parents?

[Emergent]

You might have seen this latest news about a 7 yr old youngster who told the bus monitor that her parents wouldn't wake up for 2 days and were "changing color"

Parents Found Dead After Child Tells School She Couldn't Wake Them Up - ABC News

If you watch the video you'll see someone advocating that kids be taught to use a Narcan pen on their parents.

Excuse me? Shouldn't kids be put into a safer environment when healthcare workers suspect heroin use by parents? We now expect a 7 yr old, who is probably already caring for the 3 younger siblings in this case, to monitor the parents for excessive sleepiness and not breathing enoughness. Are the kiddos supposed to do hourly rounds too?

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Terrible idea. Just tragic that a child has to be in that mess.

[AllOfMyWat]

A child can't be expected to cope with that kind of mess. Hell no.

[Libby1987]

It exemplifies the utter failure of our child welfare system, and the societal decay that is destroying us from within.

Forget about the dangers of terrorism, ISIS, illegal immigration, and any other political bogey man created to whip up the masses. WE are our own worst enemies.

Including our declining health that will increase exponentially and further drain what will be our shrinking tax base, I 100% agree.

[tyvin, BSN, RN]

Epipen for allergic reactions is one thing. Kids are taught to administer insulin and all types of things, but in an environment where the parents are that hooked to the point they would put their own children at risk; absolutely no. The child must know why.

Of course big Pharm is profiting; probably came up with the idea. It makes me more than sick when I think about how our society has gone to the addicts of any kind. The ones who scream about their "disease"; when really only self-contol can help them. Any kind of excuse works.

I say let God take them. I don't like the foster care system either. I believe it's the lesser two of the evils (hopefully). We want a better world, but with the so called family surroundings that many of our future adults are currently living in, how can we?

IMO, it doesn't reflect on the current failure of our welfare system, it's reflects on our society as a whole.

[Not_A_Hat_Person, RN]

I'm just glad the bus driver believed the girl when she told him about her parents. About 10 years ago, a 7-year-old girl near Boston told her teacher that her mother had died, and the teacher blew her off. She ended up spending a night in her home with her mother's body. Mom was a single parent with no history of substance abuse (she died from complications of diabetes), but it couldn't have been good for the girl.

[canigraduate]

Nobody sets out to overdose in front of their kids. Addiction has been recognized as a legitimate medical problem. It isn't a character flaw.

Please watch this video. It may change the way you approach addicts.

Uplift Connect - Timeline | Facebook

Instead of providing Narcan to the kids, go to the source of the problem and provide counseling for at-risk parents. Education and compassion will take you much farther than condemnation.

[Guest219794]

Well, Junior, it turns out your dad has a tendency to get drunk and fire his handgun in the house. Here is a bulletproof vest. Good luck.

I am with previous posters- Once a significant risk to a child is identified, that child should be kept safe. And any parent likely enough to OD that a Narcan prescription is warranted easily meets that threshold. As far as a child actually having to administer Narcan? Holy Crap.