Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin was forced to step in after nine high students from the same establishment overdosed on suspected fentanyl in less than a month.
The Republican governor issued an executive order that called for greater transparency for parents following the incidents-all of the reported overdoses involved opioids that are believed to have contained fentanyl. Officials said four cases happened on campus at Park View High School in Sterling.
Virginia Fentanyl Overdose
Fortunately, authorities said that there have been no deaths included in the incidents, the most recent of which happened on Tuesday. Officials have not yet released the ages and conditions of the students involved in the overdoses.
Youngkin's new executive order requires parents to be notified of any school-connected overdoses within 24 hours. The governor's order also requires districts to "work closely with law enforcement to prevent overdoses and enhance student education about the dangers of abusing drugs," as per USA Today.
A statement from the governor's office said that the Loudoun County Public School division reportedly waited more than 20 days to notify parents of the overdose incidents. It added that failure to promptly notify parents only endangers the health and welfare of their children and limits their fundamental right to make decisions concerning the upbringing, education, and care of their kids.
Additionally, Youngkin's executive order not only referenced the nine cases at Park View High School but also 19 juvenile opioid overdoses in Loudoun County so far this year. Previously, the sheriff's office reported that in three cases, Naran was administered, and school personnel performed CPR in two cases.
Sheriff's spokesperson Michele Bowman said that the remaining five incidents, including one that occurred on Halloween, all occurred at residences. It was also noted that the sheriff's office assigned additional resources to Park View High School in an attempt to identify the source and distribution of the opioids involved in the overdose cases.
Failure To Timely Notify Parents
The communications director for the sheriff's office, Thomas Julia, said that there have never been so many opioid overdoses in such a short period. Prior to the overdose outbreak at Park View High School, the sheriff's office investigated other cases that brought the total number of incidents in Loudoun County so far this year to 18, according to NBC News.
Julia added that all of the overdose cases in Park View High School involved round blue pills marked "M30." This is one of the most common appearances of fentanyl that acts similarly to oxycodone that pharmacies sell. Nevertheless, the sheriff's office is sending the pills to laboratories to confirm whether or not fentanyl exists inside.
Mirroring Youngkin's remarks regarding the Loudoun school system, Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman attributed the situation to failure to notify parents about the incidents. He added that his deputies have already been in touch with school officials.
Park View High School's principal issued a statement on Tuesday that detailed the dangers of fentanyl. The note said that there are students who are ingesting drugs before school and suffering the effects while inside the establishments, according to ABC News.
