Wes Shipley

ADAMS TWP — With Butler County experiencing a record number of opioid overdose deaths, representatives from the Drug Enforcement Agency and FBI are working with Mars School District officials to help them better understand the impact of the epidemic.

Law enforcement officials recently reviewed the risk factors that lead to opioid use along with the warning signs for identifying drug use among students. The training comes at a time when the epidemic continues to worsen throughout the county and across the country, said Wes Shipley, superintendent.

“It's a really important topic,” he said. “Officers have had to use Narcan to revive people in our community.”

The training aimed to help district officials and staff learn how to respond in situations involving opioids and how to direct students and staff if they believe someone in their community may be struggling with a substance abuse issue.

“Contact the police or the school district, the school nurse,” Shipley said. “Our concern is the health of the individual.”

A full story appears in Wednesday's Butler Eagle.