Milford's decision to place an opioid overdose antidote in elementary schools, which began at the start of the school year, is the first such move in the state.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drug overdose deaths in Connecticut are up 15 percent from last year.

So health and school officials teamed up to carry Narcan in all of the area's public schools.

Milford officials say none of those deaths have happened within the municipality, but school nurses will have the Narcan nasal spray available in case they need it.

"We know that schools are utilized in communities for a variety of purposes besides as schools, for events," says Deepa Joseph, Milford's health director. "So there's a lot of people coming in and out."

Milford's first responders also carry Narcan, and the health department says it may even do community training on the antidote in the future.