TULSA, Okla. — For years, lawmakers hoped lifesaving inhalers would be installed in every school in Oklahoma, even passing a bill and having Governor Stitt sign it into law.
However, since the $250,000 allocated to emergency medicine was approved and sent to OSDE the process has slowed, according to Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
On Oct. 1, Drummond released a letter of counsel in response to State Superintendent Ryan Walters' request for an opinion.
In the letter, Drummond said the legislature was clear with its guidelines not sure where the confusion is coming from.
2 News first reported this story when Walters sent the opinions speaking with lawmakers and the foundation whose whole mission is to supply inhalers after a personal tragedy.
The Brendon McLarty Memorial Foundation was started after the 16-year-old suddenly died after suffering an asthma attack.
Since then, they've fought to get inhalers in every school in the state, privately funding the mission.
However, with the help of the state, they got funding to ensure its mission was fulfilled.
However, OSDE is slowing that goal.
"As someone who has asthma, I am appalled," said Kathy Wilson.
She said she has asthma and knows the impact of an inhaler.
"I've had it happen when I was on a youth group, I've had to use my own inhaler to help a child who didn't realize she had asthma and needed it right then, So there's really just no excuse for this," Wilson said.
Other parents 2 News spoke with shared the same thoughts.
"I am really concerned for the kids who need this. Children who might have emergency situations sometimes they don't even really know if they have asthma until their first attack which could be at a school," said Wilson.
To understand more about asthma, 2 News talked with a family medicine doctor. Dr. Matthew Else said access to inhalers is vital.
"It's not just the breathing. But it could go very quickly from injury to even death. So, it's like no question you have to have access," said Dr. Else.
He said asthma can be sudden, with your first attack possibly leading to severe injury or worse. That's why he said it's especially important for schools to have inhalers on hand.
In Drummond's response to Walter's, he said the funds need to be dispersed.
"Waiting more than a year to ask for guidance, changing procurement methods multiple times, and now requiring school districts to individually procure emergency inhalers is neither speedy nor responsible," Drummond wrote.
2 News reached out to Walter's office. OSDE's Director of Communications Dan Isett said they've been reimbursing schools that purchase inhalers for two years.
However, the funds we only made available in July of last year.
Following up, 2 News asked for documentation proving that the inhalers were supplied. We haven't heard back.
"Any person that might have any hint of asthma should have immediate access to an Albuterol inhaler. That is the most life saving thing that you can have in that moment," said Dr. Else.
Drummond said supplying the funds is now a matter of speed, wanting all schools to have the emergency inhalers.
Read Drummond's full letter here.
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