Fentanyl and Opioid Use Prevention Education

Contact Information

For questions regarding Fentanyl in schools please contact:

Student Engagement and Support

In 2024, Washington State lawmakers passed House Bill 1956 to expand fentanyl education in schools. The bill directs the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) to work with educational partners to create age-appropriate materials focused on substance use prevention and awareness. These resources are designed for classroom use, align with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) standards, and follow a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework. All materials are informed by evidence-based best practices. 

Professional Development Resources

This section shares tools and training to help schools prevent substance use and support student well-being through social emotional learning and safe, caring environments.

Washington State Data (2023)

In 2023, data from Washington students in grades 8–12 showed minimal opioid use. Most students do not use fentanyl, opioids, or other substances. Still, proactive education remains essential. Schools play a vital role in prevention by creating safe, inclusive environments that reduce stigma, nurture healing-centered practices, and connect students with caring adults and resources through strong community partnerships. By integrating fentanyl, opioid, and substance use prevention education, schools support the whole child.

The 2023 Healthy Youth Survey data showed that students who report using painkillers to get high at least once in the past month was: 2% for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.

Students who report using prescription drugs not prescribed to them in the past month showed 3% for 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.  

This project follows an interconnected systems approach grounded in a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS): 

  • Tier 1: Universal Prevention – School-wide strategies like behavioral health screenings, staff training in trauma-informed practices, Positive Community Norms (PCN), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS), and Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) integration.
  • Tier 2: Targeted Interventions – Small group or individual support for students, focused on skill building.
  • Tier 3: Intensive Support – Wraparound services for students.

About Friends for Life

Funded by the Washington State Healthcare Authority, the Friends for Life Campaign focuses on identifying safe, effective ways for educators to talk with students about fentanyl, opioids, and substance use, using best practices without causing harm. OSPI uses a mixed-methods approach, including: 

  • Environmental Scan: Interviews with experts to assess existing resources and identify gaps. 
  • Stakeholder Collaboration: Workgroups with health and education leaders to align materials with best practices. 
  • Community Engagement: Listening sessions with educators, parents, and healthcare professionals to ensure messages reflect diverse community needs.

The result is a curated set of culturally responsive, evidence-based materials, centered around the Friends for Life resources. The WA Friends for Life Resources navigation video and resources below show how to use the program and its helpful tools.

Friends For Life Resources

Classroom-ready content for middle and high school students that covers

  • Risks of fentanyl and other opioids 
  • Prevention and basic harm reduction 
  • Risk/protective factors and student reflection activities 

Audience-Specific Resources

  • Parents & Caregivers: Tools to start conversations at home 
  • Teens: Honest, age-appropriate education 
  • Community Partners: Resources for outreach and support 

Partner Toolkit Includes

  • Social media graphics 
  • Videos & Public Service Announcements (PSAs)
  • Fact sheets 
  • Implementation tips 

Naloxone Access

  • The Get Naloxone section helps school staff, families, and communities locate free naloxone easily using an interactive map.

Companion Materials

OSPI created extra materials to help teachers and students learn about preventing substance use. These materials are culturally responsive, based on research, and connected to Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) skills. They give students fun, age-appropriate ways to build self-awareness, make good choices, and stay resilient while helping teachers lead safe and confident classroom conversations.

Graphic Novel: How to Be Your Authentic Self 

The "Graphic Novel: How to Be Your Authentic Self" is a graphic novel cover that emphasizes the importance of embracing your authentic self by understanding your values, interests, and individuality rather than conforming to outside pressures. It highlights that self-awareness leads to healthier choices, stronger relationships, and greater happiness. This guide aims to develop social-emotional learning skills through a fun and creative learning experience for youth.  

Designed with a relatable tone and visuals to engage youth, themes in this guide include authenticity and self-discovery, uniqueness, resilience against peer pressure, self-reflection, mental and emotional well-being, and empowerment. 

Level Up Your Friend Game 

The “Level Up Your Friend Game” is a lesson plan that presents a gamified or infographic-style approach aimed at individuals who may influence or pressure others. It emphasizes the values of friendship, such as trust, humility, patience, and support. 
Key themes include: 

  • Peer pressure 
  • Connection as a protective factor 
  • Setting boundaries 
  • Authenticity 
  • Tips for enhancing supportive friendship roles 

This handout highlights the importance of being a supportive, trustworthy, and values-driven friend. Strong, authentic friendships built on kindness, respect, and mutual support can offer protection against negative influences like fentanyl, opioids, or other substances, while also fostering a sense of belonging and resilience.

Like the previous handout, this one provides concrete opportunities to develop social and emotional learning (SEL) skills in a style and language that youth will find engaging and easy to understand. 

Teacher Support Guide

The Teacher Support Guide is designed to help educators feel more prepared and supported when talking with students about fentanyl and opioid prevention. It offers practical tips for leading classroom discussions, responding to student questions, and creating a safe space for open conversation. 
The guide covers: 

How to share accurate, age-appropriate information  How to connect the discussion to your district’s policies on prevention, intervention, and emergency response 

The goal isn’t for teachers to have all the answers or knowledge but to give them tools to lead these conversations with care and confidence using their existing skills.  

  • Strategies for keeping conversations respectful and developmentally appropriate 
  • Ideas for using interactive activities—like scenarios—to keep students engaged 
  • Guidance on using elements of Motivational Interviewing in one-on-one conversations to support students in making informed choices 
Fact-Based Responses to Common Questions

The Understanding the Facts: Opioid & Fentanyl Use Among Youth guide offers clear, evidence-based answers to common questions about opioid use, including prescription use, risks of illicit substances like fentanyl, and overdose prevention. It’s designed to help educators and adults respond to student curiosity with accurate, age-appropriate information.

Each topic includes: 

  • A straightforward explanation of the facts 
  • A “Why It Matters” section to highlight the importance of understanding the issue 
  • Clarification of common misunderstandings without using fear-based messaging 

The guide also explains how naloxone (Narcan) can reverse an overdose and why it’s a critical tool in prevention and response efforts. 

Vocabulary List 

The Vocabulary List is a resource that provides the names and definitions of essential terms and their meanings in the domain of substance use, offering a quick and easy way for educators to become familiar with these terms. Included in this list are specific terms, such as opioids, and the distinction between regulated (legal and regulated) or doctor-prescribed opioids for medical treatment vs. unregulated (illicit or unregulated) opioids. The list also includes definitions of peer pressure, substance use disorder (SUD), protective and risk factors, Naloxone, and the Good Samaritan Law.

Educators should feel confident in using these supplemental materials, which are culturally appropriate, evidence-based, and aligned with SEL competencies and substance use prevention best practices.

Engaging Youth in Meaningful Conversations

Engaging youth in meaningful conversations requires knowledge and skills that avoid perpetuating stigmas that can be off-putting for youth. Briefly, it is important to understand terms for common ground, as listed above in the Vocabulary List.

Tips and Techniques for Youth Engagement

  • Use Respectful, Person-First Language 
  • Use person-first language like “person with a substance use disorder” or “person in recovery” to center respect and reduce stigma. This helps students feel safe and supported during discussions. Avoid labels such as “addict,” “junkie,” or “drug abuser,” which can carry shame and discourage honest dialogue. 

Validate Emotions and Build Trust

Let students know it’s okay to have strong feelings when talking about substance use. Validating their emotions helps build a trusting, respectful classroom environment. Have individual conversations. Avoid brushing off or ignoring emotional responses, which can make students feel dismissed or unsafe. Refer students to student services when appropriate. 

Guide Conversations Toward Healthy Norms

Keep the focus on facts: most students in K–12 do not use opioids or fentanyl. Reinforce this often. Share that prescribed opioids can be safe when used under doctor supervision, but no illicit substance is safe, especially for teens, whose brains are still developing until around age 25. Avoid letting peer stories about “getting high” or risky behavior dominate the conversation, as this can unintentionally reinforce harmful norms. 

Anchor the Conversation with Adults

Encourage student participation by creating space for meaningful contributions but always maintain a steady adult presence to guide the tone and direction of the discussion. Avoid letting students take over or steer the conversation into territory that may be unsafe, stigmatizing, or glamorizing. 

Redirect When Needed to Keep Conversations Safe

When discussions veer off course or become unproductive, calmly bring the focus back to accurate information and prevention goals. This helps ensure the conversation stays inclusive and constructive. Avoid reinforcing unhealthy behaviors or letting harmful narratives go unchallenged. 

Refer to the Teacher Support Guide for strategies on practical discussions on substance use and refer to Fact-Based Responses to Common Questions to help dispel common misunderstandings and narrow in on important information for opioid and fentanyl use.  

Resources and Support

Prevention Resources

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Prevention and Mental Health Promotion is a resource showing the statewide prevention programs along with the state’s strategic plan and prevention priorities.  

The Washington Healthy Youth Survey provides survey data showing trends over time to help inform parents, schools, and communities of youth health and wellbeing.  

Washington Teen Link Helpline is a statewide helpline for teens by teens. It is a resource for youth who want to talk to another teen about any concerns about bullying, drug and alcohol concerns, relationships, stress, or depression 7 days a week from 6-10 pm.

  • 7 days a week from 6-10pm: Washington teen link helpline: (866) 883-6546 
  • 7 days a week 24 hours a day: Youth Crises support: dial 988
Treatment Resources 

Youth and their families interested in treatment services can use the treatment locator by Washington Teen Link to find treatment services in the state of WA.  

How to Talk to Youth About Drug Use Resources:

Naloxone 

Online Trainings

Can purchase naloxone over the counter at many pharmacies using your health insurance; if you have Apple Health (WA Medicaid) there’s no copay.  

References
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Protective factors in schools. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2022). Wide-ranging online data for epidemiologic research (WONDER). Atlanta, GA
  • Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL). (2020). CASEL’s SEL Framework.
  • Durlak, J. A., Weissberg, R. P., Dymnicki, A. B., Taylor, R. D., & Schellinger, K. B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students’ social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development, 82(1), 405–432.
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  • Kelly, J. F., & Westerhoff, C. M. (2010). Does it matter how we refer to individuals with substance-related conditions? A randomized study of two commonly used terms. International Journal of Drug Policy, 21(3), 202-207.
  • Kipke, M. D. (1999). Protecting youth: Community efforts to curb youth risk behavior. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press.
  • National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021, November 29). Words matter: Terms to use and avoid when talking about addiction. National Institutes of Health.
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  • Stoiber, K. C., & Gettinger, M. (2011). Functional assessment and positive support strategies for promoting resilience: Effects on teachers and high‐risk children. Psychology in the Schools, 48(7), 686-706.
  • Stoiber, K. C., & Gettinger, M. (2015). Multi-tiered systems of support and evidence-based practices. In Handbook of response to intervention: The science and practice of multi-tiered systems of support (pp. 121-141). Boston, MA: Springer, US.
  • Williams, R. (2003). Sense of belonging and school adjustment among early adolescent girls. Journal of Early Adolescence, 23(3), 257–274.