Big Sky Times

Attorney General Knudsen announces new program to put life-saving naloxone kits in schools

Sep 6, 2024

BILLINGS – Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today a Montana Department of Justice program to place opioid reversal kits in middle and high schools across Montana. The initiative is part of Attorney General Knudsen’s ongoing efforts to address the fentanyl crisis in the state.

The kits include naloxone, a medicine used to reverse opioid overdoses, along with instructions on its administration, a CPR respirator mask, a CPR face shield, and educational information.

“These naloxone kits will help us save lives. The fentanyl crisis is widespread in Montana and it’s making its way into every inch of our communities, including schools. Educating students on the dangers of fentanyl is the first step in preventing more tragedies, but having naloxone on hand will help schools be prepared for a worst-case scenario. It’s more important than ever as the Mexican cartels are getting more creative and disguising the deadly drug as candy and other drugs,” Attorney General Knudsen said. “As attorney general, I will continue to do everything I can to keep fentanyl out of our communities. Please do your part and talk to your children about the dangers of illicit drugs. Together, we can save lives.”

Attorney General Knudsen made the announcement at Billings Senior High School where he delivered the first naloxone kit. He was accompanied by Billings Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Erwin Garcia and Division of Criminal Investigation Drug Intelligence Officer Will Janisch. The program is a collaboration between the Montana Department of Justice and Facing Fentanyl.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services reported that 326 children aged 0-17 visited emergency rooms or were hospitalized due to unintentional overdoses in 2022; last year saw 276 similar cases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,582 children aged 0-19 died from drug-related overdoses in 2022.

Fentanyl seizures by anti-drug task forces in Montana have increased significantly in recent years. In the first quarter of 2024 alone, Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area task forces seized 163,184 dosage units of fentanyl compared to 65,142 during the same period in 2023. Throughout all last year, a total of 398,000 dosage units were seized; this number was up from 188,823 units seized in 2022 and 60,557 units seized in 2021.

The State Crime Lab preliminarily reported 22 overdose deaths involving fentanyl as of June 2024 – there were a total of 80 such deaths in all of last year. This figure does not reflect statewide totals as it only includes deaths verified through autopsies conducted by the crime lab.

To address this issue further, Attorney General Knudsen secured funding for two narcotics agents at the Division of Criminal Investigation during the 2023 Legislative Session. He also supported bills aimed at combating this crisis: House Bill 791 imposes mandatory jail time or fines for those convicted of selling fentanyl; Senate Bill 67 revises drug schedules enabling more state-level prosecutions.

Additionally, Attorney General Knudsen has increased personnel within his department dedicated to narcotics enforcement and major cases while adding a statewide drug intelligence officer who assists local law enforcement agencies. A grant program spearheaded by him has deployed two dozen drug-detecting K9s across Montana.

Furthermore, Attorney General Knudsen continues holding federal authorities accountable regarding their role in addressing this crisis; earlier this year he testified against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during an impeachment hearing before Congress over issues related to federal immigration law enforcement at southern borders.

He has also urged President Biden's administration classifying both drug cartels as terrorist organizations alongside designating fentanyl itself being treated akin towards weapons mass destruction status.