Sartell student recovering after possible opioid overdose from vape

A Sartell High School student is recovering after going unresponsive at school Thursday and being given the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, according to Sartell police.

A school resource officer administered the drug, often known by the brand name Narcan, and the male student was transported to the emergency room, where he was reported to be in stable condition.

Officials say they believe the student inhaled opioids through a vape pen and are investigating where the student got the cartridge.

Wayne Schreiner, deputy police chief in Sartell, said Friday the city hasn’t seen a spike in overdoses following the incident, and the number of overdoses has been steady in recent months.

“That’s always the fear in the community when you get one [overdose]: Was there a bad batch that came through the area?” Schreiner said. “We haven’t heard of anything regionally to indicate that’s the case so far. I’m just hoping it’s a one-off at this point and hoping the student and family can learn from it.”

The police did not release the boy’s name or age but are hoping the incident acts as a reminder to students about the possible risk of ingesting the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl.

“This incident is an all-too-real reminder of the dangers that often come with teenagers using vape pens, especially when the cartridges are purchased off the street and could contain any number of unknown substances,” said a social media statement posted by the Police Department on Thursday evening.

Last year, the Legislature passed a law requiring school buildings to be equipped with at least two doses of naloxone. Recent CDC data shows that 46 Minnesota teens ages 15 to 19 died of a drug overdose in 2021, an increase from fewer than 10 fatal teen overdoses in 2018.