SPRINGFIELD – At the start of the 2024-2025 school year, every state-required health course will provide mandatory fentanyl education to high school students, thanks to a new law supported by State Senator Laura Ellman that took effect Jan. 1.

“In order to combat the ongoing opioid epidemic on all fronts, we need to educate our most vulnerable populations, which includes young people,” said Ellman (D-Naperville). “The age of fentanyl exposure is younger than we think, and I am pleased this law implements such indispensable education for students.”

House Bill 3924 requires health courses for high school students in each school district to educate them on the dangers of fentanyl and fentanyl contamination through instruction, study and discussion.

“The increase in opioid-related deaths each year signals to Illinoisans that more underlying issues need to be addressed,” said Ellman. “In the next school year, students across the state will begin to learn more about fentanyl addiction, which can empower them to set a healthier example for others and hopefully lead to fewer overdoses and deaths.”

House Bill 3924 took effect Jan. 1.

Image: This image shows the approximate size of a potentially fatal dose of fentanyl. Learn more from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.