New proposal would require Virginia schools to notify families of suspected student overdoses

A proposal in Virginia could require schools to notify parents within 24 hours of a student's drug overdose. It comes after several students overdosed across Loudoun County in 2023.

If the Virginia legislature moves forward with this idea, the notification could come to parents via text, email or social media. A spokesperson with Loudoun County public schools says parents could ultimately choose.

The school district also insists notification to parents should be a team effort between the school district, law enforcement, public health leaders and families.

FOX 5 asked Loudoun County public schools why this 24-hour notification is not already happening. They cited student privacy among other concerns, which would have to be explored and addressed by the legislature.

READ MORE: Narcan for students? Loudoun County schools considers new drug policy

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin issued an executive order requiring that parents be notified about suspected drug overdoses and Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman agrees.

"We want to make sure that parents of children at any high school — that attend any high school, not just while they're in school but if they attend a particular high school — if they overdose we want to make sure that parents of that particular school area are aware of that so that they can watch out for their kids and so they can hopefully get information that may help us without investigation," Chapman said. 

There has been some hesitation on the part of the school district though. They claim they’re on board with parent notification but again they cited student privacy as a potential issue, saying often parents don’t provide them with information and doctors don’t provide them with lab results.

"Obviously the legislature is looking at it and coming out. I can say that we are 100 percent in support of family notification when it comes to suspected student overdoes. We recognize that this is a crisis in many communities and we are 100 percent behind student notification," Daniel Adams, the public information officer for Loudoun County added. 

The potential new law could also require school districts to say where the overdose occurred.

The Source: Loudoun County Public Schools

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