B.C. High Schools to Stock Naloxone Kits, Defibrillators by December; CPR Training to Begin in Grade 10

By the end of 2025, every public high school in British Columbia will be equipped with naloxone kits and automated external defibrillators (AEDs), as part of an updated emergency health policy from the province.

In addition, starting this September, all Grade 10 students will receive CPR and AED training during physical education classes. However, the Ministry of Education and Childcare confirmed that schools will not be required to provide training on how to administer naloxone, the overdose-reversing medication.

For Point Grey Secondary student Tobias Zhang, the new policy is a personal victory. He began advocating for AEDs in schools after losing a friend to cardiac arrest during class three years ago.

“There was no AED to help save my friend when he needed one,” Zhang said.

He went on to form a student-led group that fundraised $14,000 to donate an AED to his school. After persistent lobbying, the Vancouver School Board approved the donation and later committed $250,000 to install AEDs across all district facilities by September.

Praise for Naloxone Kits, But Push for Training

Leslie McBain, co-founder of advocacy group Moms Stop the Harm, welcomed the decision to equip schools with naloxone kits but called the lack of mandatory training a missed opportunity.

“Every second counts when someone is overdosing. Giving naloxone—especially nasal naloxone—is simple, but without training, students may hesitate or not know what to do,” she said.

McBain also argued that teaching students how to respond to overdoses could be a powerful educational tool to increase awareness about substance use and risks.

More than 16,000 people have died in B.C.’s toxic drug crisis since it was declared a public health emergency in 2016—including over 200 youth under the age of 19.

Abbotsford Adds Naloxone Training

While provincial policy does not require naloxone training, the Abbotsford School District is going further. According to superintendent Nathan Ngieng, students there will be taught how to administer naloxone alongside CPR and AED instruction.

"We’ve seen overdose deaths in our community,” Ngieng said. “Equipping students with the knowledge to respond could save lives.”

Abbotsford schools have had AEDs for nearly a decade—and one has already been used to save a student’s life.

“Having seen it work firsthand, we know how critical this training and equipment can be,” he said.

Expansion to Elementary and Middle Schools by 2026

The policy changes won’t stop at high schools. By 2026, AEDs and naloxone kits will also be mandatory in all B.C. elementary and middle schools—part of a provincewide effort to make schools better prepared for health emergencies.