State officials say Narcan kits placed in Montana high schools and middle schools two years ago are successfully reversing opioid overdoses — a milestone that began with a single kit installed at Billings Senior High School in September 2024.
The Montana Department of Justice initiated the program, distributing kits containing naloxone, the fast-acting medication that can reverse an opioid overdose within minutes when administered nasally. The DOJ's rollout targeted schools statewide, recognizing that overdoses don't stop at school property lines and that trained staff with naloxone on hand can be the difference between a medical emergency and a fatality.
Officials did not release specific numbers of reversals in the information available from this report, but the characterization from state officials was clear: the kits are working. For Helena school families, the program means that Carroll and Helena High, along with the city's middle schools, are among the institutions equipped with the medication. The two-year mark gives the program enough of a track record to evaluate, and by the state's account, the results justify the investment.