Arlington Public Schools has announced that it will allow students to carry Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses. Students will be allowed to carry the spray by May 26.

In slides from a recent school board meeting — published by WTOP — APS said it was going ahead with the measure after the Food and Drug Administration approved Narcan for over-the-counter, nonprescription use in late March. It was the first time the FDA had approved nonprescription use of a naloxone product.

Narcan is not a substitute for medical care, but the drug is effective for emergency use. It rapidly reverses the effects of potentially fatal opioid overdoses and, unlike other forms of naloxone, requires little formal training. Narcan is administered by spraying into a person’s nostril while they are lying on their back.

School clinics in Arlington County already provide Naloxone, but this is the first time APS is allowing students to bring their own. (Neighboring districts, like Alexandria City Public Schools, have also been supplying Narcan at schools). APS has been introducing more drug education and prevention efforts in recent months after a 13-year-old student died from an apparent opioid overdose earlier this year. Those efforts include staff trainings for preventing an overdose, counseling, and education on opioids for middle and high school students.

In recent months, parents in Arlington have met with school officials to discuss allowing students to bring Narcan to schools. Some were strong advocates of the measure. Others have stressed the need for mental health resources or more robust law enforcement.

The D.C. region saw an increase in fatal opioid overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting nationwide trends. In the District — where overdose deaths were already on the rise pre-pandemic — opioid-related deaths jumped by about 50% in 2020, prompting officials to double the number of locations that offer naloxone kits for free. (Narcan is available in every ward in the District, including various CVS locations.) Virginia saw a nearly 50% jump as well in 2020, which it recorded as its deadliest year on record. Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties saw spikes that year as well, of 54.9% and 25.6% respectively, according to reporting from the Washington Post.

Opioid use and overdoses have been on the rise among youth in the region as well. Reporting from WTOP shows that at the time of the 13-year old student’s death, Arlington Public Schools had recorded four student overdoses. The school system documented eight overdoses in all of last year. At the end of 2022, three Montgomery County Public Schools students had overdosed while at school. Recent data shows that youth overdoses increased 78% in that county from 2021 to 2022.

Students who plan to bring Narcan to Arlington Public Schools will need training and permission from a parent or guardian.