Free Narcan Event
The Chris Atwood Foundation to dispense Narcan during training for the first time The Chris Atwood Foundation will be able to dispense Narcan to its trainees for the first time due to a law passed during the 2017 legislative session. The Foundation will be joined by Attorney General Mark Herring, State Senator Jennifer Wexton, Delegate John Bell and Delegate Jennifer Boysko to raise awareness for the new law. The Narcan to be dispensed is provided through a generous grant from Reston-based Leidos, a FORTUNE 500​®​ science and technology company. WHO: Attorney General Mark Herring Senator Jennifer Wexton Delegate John Bell Delegate Jennifer Boysko Delegate David LaRock (Invited) WHEN: August 19, 2017
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
WHERE: Oakton Library 10304 Lynnhaven Pl Oakton, VA 22124
Background on the new laws: Senate Bill 848 and House Bill 1453 expand access to Naloxone (Narcan), the opioid overdose reversal drug. Now trainers who teach others how to administer Narcan may distribute it to those they are training.​ ​This new law allows the trainer to dispense the drug after obtaining a controlled substances registration from the Department of Health. Ginny Atwood Lovitt, whose brother, Chris Atwood, died of an overdose in 2013, brought the idea to the Attorney General, Senator Wexton and the Delegates last summer. After finding Chris unconscious, she attempted to revive him but did not have naloxone in her home. By the time EMTs responded, it was too late to save Chris. She and her family have since founded The Chris Atwood Foundation, which provides recovery support and resources to people and families affected by addiction. The Foundation seeks to change the conversation and polic
ies about addiction from ones of stigma to support, and aims to prevent opioid overdose death through education and access to naloxone. After failing to obtain the ability to lay dispense Naloxone to the people she was training, Ginny contacted her local representatives to change the law and expand access to naloxone. After months of discussions with various departments and interest groups, the bills were introduced during the 2017 Legislative Session. The bills received unanimous support from the General Assembly.
