School nurses in Alexandria could soon be authorized to administer naloxone, a potentially life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses, to students.

The nasal spray, most commonly known by the brand name Narcan, quickly blocks the effects of opioids. The Alexandria school board is scheduled to vote on the measure during a meeting Thursday evening.

Alexandria City Public Schools Superintendent Gregory C. Hutchings Jr. supports the proposal, according to a report filed to the school board. A spokesperson for Alexandria schools did not immediately respond to questions Thursday morning about the proposal.

The measure, which was first reported by ALXNow, would go into effect immediately if passed. It would allow nurses and other school workers who have received the necessary training to administer naloxone to students experiencing an overdose.

Lawmakers in Virginia voted in 2019 to allow school nurses to carry naloxone but some schools have carried the medication for longer.

Hampton City Schools trained school workers on how to administer naloxone after former Gov. Terry McAuliffe issued a standing order in 2018 that allowed pharmacists to dispense the medication to anyone without a prescription, according to The Daily Press.

In Maryland, schools are required to carry a supply of naloxone. And the National Association of School Nurses, a professional development organization, supports policies that allow school nurses to administer naloxone on campuses in response to opioid-related emergencies.

Nearly 500,000 people died between 1999 and 2019 from opioid overdoses, including prescription opioids and illicit drugs such as fentanyl, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Earlier this week city officials in Alexandria reported a spike in what they believe are fentanyl-related overdoses, especially among school-age youth who took blue pills they believed were Percocet. Fentanyl is up to 100 times more potent than morphine.

Between April 1 and May 1, a dozen people reported overdosing on opioids in Alexandria, half of which occurred among people under the age of 17, according to a city news release. None of the overdoses were fatal and in many situations, people were revived with naloxone.

“We are doing all we can to warn youth and other community members of the resources available to combat this epidemic,” said Captain Monica Lisle, a commander of the criminal investigations division in the Alexandria Police Department.