|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
By Layla Martinez
When Granada High School senior Angel Pepper was asked about his school’s drug education he had a very simple response.
“I would say there is very, very little of it. The only time we really discuss drugs in school is in Health class… and it’s very limited,” he stated.
In Alameda County, there are specific guidelines on drug usage curriculum that schools must follow. But is the education in schools enough to prepare them for real life situations involving opioids?
With opioid overdoses rising, many schools in Alameda County are trying to educate students about the dangers of fentanyl and other opioids. The deadly fentanyl overdose of 15-year-old Melanie Ramos at Helen Bernstein High School in Hollywood led to the rise of fentanyl awareness in California.
An ABC7 article reported that California Senate Bill 10 (also known as “Melanie’s Law”) requires all California middle schools and high schools to create a plan of action to handle and prevent potential opioid overdoses.
Melanie’s Law also encourages school websites to have information about preventing opioid overdoses and requires schools to educate their teachers and administrators on life saving responses to fentanyl. Livermore Valley Joint Unified School District (LVJUSD) website has that information.
Pepper said he feels his school does not provide enough resources for students who are potentially struggling with drug abuse. He also feels like schools take a more fear-based approach to teaching about opioids and fentanyl.
“I think that the approach is much more fear mongering than it is actually trying to help educate us,” Pepper said. “They talk about it like it’s some kind of far off concept, which we all know that it isn’t.”
To address the rising number of youth fentanyl related deaths, California Assembly Bill 2429, which was passed in July 2024, requires all school districts provide health education on the dangers of fentanyl use. According to law firm Lozano Smith, the bill has been intended to be implemented starting in the 2026-2027 school year.
As laws such as California Senate Bill 10 and Assembly Bill 2429 aim to strengthen opioid education in schools, the question remains whether policy changes will translate into meaningful classroom conversations, especially as students like Angel Pepper say what they want most is education that feels real, relevant, and supportive.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
New retail, dining options coming to Stoneridge Shopping Center later this yearApril 19, 2026 9:24 pm
