Danish schools equip first aid kits with opioid overdose spray

A Copenhagen vocational school has added naloxone nasal spray to its first aid supplies and trained staff to administer it, as opioid overdoses among young people rise, Danish broadcaster DR reports.

Next Uddannelse, which operates 15 campuses across Greater Copenhagen, began stocking the overdose-reversal spray last autumn and has since incorporated opioid response training into its first aid courses for teachers. Staff at the Nørrebro campus completed the training this week.

“We hope we never have to use it, but it’s good to be prepared,” said Nader Ferozi, a community and wellbeing coordinator at the school. Andreas Dyhr, a 10th-grade teacher and team leader, called the training “another essential skill, just like fire drills or basic first aid.”

The move follows a 2025 Rockwool Foundation study showing opioids—including morphine and tramadol—had become the second most commonly used recreational drug among Danish 15- to 19-year-olds after cannabis, with 4% reporting use in the past year. Regional hospital data also indicate hundreds of annual admissions for opioid-induced seizures among young people in the capital.

Ole Heinager, Next’s director, confirmed the school had already encountered “a few episodes” of opioid-related emergencies during school hours. “If we can save even one young life, the effort is worth it,” he said, comparing the spray to a defibrillator. “You hope you’ll never need it, but when crisis hits, you have it.”

While some addiction specialists warn that placing medical responsibility on untrained staff could be traumatic, teachers like Dyhr say the training provides critical confidence. “I’ll never feel 100% ready for an emergency, but now I know I can handle this,” he said. “It’s reassuring to act ourselves rather than wait for outside help.”

The nasal spray, which delivers the opioid antagonist naloxone, is now standard in first aid kits across all Next campuses alongside traditional supplies.