Virginia county considers letting students carry Narcan amid rise in opioid overdoses

Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) is weighing a proposal to allow students to carry naloxone in school. The drug, commonly known by its retail name Narcan, is proven to reverse drug overdoses from opioids such as fentanyl.

“We would like for the students to be trained and certified,” stated Jeannie Kloman, supervisor of Student Health Services for LCPS.

“They should be trained and certified and keep the medication in its original container and not alter the device in any way, and we ask that they immediately notify a staff member if they administer this drug while on school grounds.”

The county’s interest in enhancing access to naloxone comes on the heels of a 2023 report that nine students from Park View High School in Loudoun County experienced an overdose last school year. Eight of the overdoses occurred within three weeks, and at least four of them occurred inside the school.

Loudoun would not be the first Virginia county to consider expanding students’ access to naloxone. Both Fairfax and Arlington County school districts have permitted students to carry and administer Narcan at school in the event of an overdose.

The proposal has received mixed support from stakeholders in the community. Some school board members fear that a policy change would bring with it unintended consequences, such as encouraging students to use drugs on school property.

“I understand why we want students to carry it,” Deana Griffiths, a school board member, said, but she also expressed concerns that students would take the policy as a “license” to continue drug use because they would be in possession of the antidote. 

“This is very serious. So, I would like to see more data on who’s training them, who’s carrying it, and in a year or so, was it helpful for students to carry it,” she added. 

Officials across educational systems continue to explore new drug prevention measures. Earlier this year, LCPS announced a partnership with local police to begin sweeping county public high schools with drug-detecting dogs. Elon University in North Carolina has also installed naloxone stations across campus to improve student access to the lifesaving medication. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin recently announced an expansion of his administration’s fentanyl overdose awareness campaign, “It Only Takes One.” First Lady Suzanne Youngkin is set to personally visit community locations such as schools, churches and recovery centers to highlight the fentanyl crisis.