Legislation requiring public institutions of higher education like Mizzou and Lincoln to have opioid overdose rescue kits available for public use on campuses has been heard by a Missouri House committee.
State Rep. Doug Mann (D-Columbia) testified before the Missouri House Higher Education Committee on Wednesday afternoon. Representative Mann’s three-page House Bill 1997 would require the rescue kits to be in a clearly visible location on campuses with the words “Opioid Overdose Rescue Kit- Naloxone Nasal Spray” or other terms approved by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.
Columbia Police spokeswoman Jenny Hopper tells 939 the Eagle that Columbia had 13 confirmed fatal overdoses in 2023, along with 18 confirmed fatal overdoses in 2022. Ms. Hopper says there were 20 suspected fatal overdoses in 2022 and again in 2023, along with four suspected overdoses this year.
