May 20, 2026 · AzSAM
STOP-IT AZ School Overdose Prevention Initiative
AzSAM partnered with the Arizona Department of Education on STOP-IT (School Training Overdose Preparedness and Intelligence Taskforce), a first-in-the-nation, statewide framework for school overdose preparedness — including naloxone distribution, staff training, model policies, and overdose reporting for Arizona's K–12 schools.
The opioid and overdose crisis has increasingly affected children, adolescents, and school communities across Arizona. Nationally, drug overdoses have become the third leading cause of death among adolescents, with overdose deaths among youth more than doubling in recent years, largely driven by illicit fentanyl and counterfeit pills. Research has demonstrated that approximately 90% of adolescent overdose deaths involve opioids, while counterfeit pills are implicated in nearly one-quarter of cases. At the same time, the RESPONSE (Responding to Opioids through Prevention, School Education, and Emergency Preparedness) initiative has highlighted concerning trends among school-aged youth, including findings that more than one in five high school students report being sold, given, or offered illicit drugs on school property. Despite these realities, schools have historically lacked standardized policies, training, reporting systems, and overdose response resources comparable to those available for other medical emergencies such as asthma attacks, allergic reactions, and cardiac events.
To address this emerging public health challenge, the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) launched the STOP-IT (School Training Overdose Preparedness and Intelligence Taskforce) initiative, bringing together a diverse coalition of experts from education, public health, healthcare, emergency medicine, law enforcement, and community organizations. The Arizona Society of Addiction Medicine (AzSAM) served as a key partner and subject matter expert throughout the development and implementation of the initiative, helping to ensure that schools received guidance grounded in the latest evidence and best practices in addiction medicine, overdose prevention, and emergency response. Working alongside ADE, AzSAM contributed to statewide efforts focused on school preparedness, naloxone accessibility, staff training, policy development, overdose reporting, and student safety. Program information, model policies, and school resources are available at https://www.azed.gov/stopit.
Through the STOP-IT initiative, Arizona became one of the first states in the nation to develop a comprehensive framework for school overdose preparedness. The program has supported the distribution of thousands of naloxone kits to schools, created model policies and implementation guidance, established overdose reporting mechanisms, and developed educational resources designed to help schools prevent, recognize, and respond to opioid-related emergencies. By bringing together stakeholders from across multiple sectors, STOP-IT has helped transform overdose preparedness from an isolated school health issue into a coordinated statewide strategy focused on prevention, rapid response, and student well-being. The STOP-IT statewide blueprint was published in Pediatrics in February 2026 — 'A State Blueprint to Equip Schools With a Uniform…': https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/157/2/e2025072575/206091/A-State-Blueprint-to-Equip-Schools-With-a-Uniform
AzSAM remains proud to support this groundbreaking initiative and its mission to protect Arizona students, educators, and communities. The organization continues to advocate for evidence-based approaches that equip schools with the knowledge, resources, and partnerships needed to address the realities of today's overdose crisis. Through its collaboration with ADE and numerous state and national partners, AzSAM is helping to establish Arizona as a national leader in school-based overdose prevention, preparedness, and public health innovation. Learn more at https://www.azed.gov/stopit.