RICHMOND, Va. – Starting in July, a new law could keep your kids safe if a drug overdose happens on school grounds.
Gov. Ralph Northam signed a bill giving schools the option to store naloxone and other opioid-fighting agents, NBC12 reports.
According to the Virginia Department of Health, 2017 saw 1,229 overdoses, the highest number in a decade.
Under the new law, elementary, middle and high schools can store and administer the lifesaving drugs.
"This bill is a step in the right direction, helping with the opioid crisis, and maybe it could save a life," said Republican Delegate John McGuire to NBC12. "We didn't make it a mandate, but we've given all school levels the option of storing and administering, so it will be up to the school system."
The bill unanimously passed both houses in the General Assembly.