Medical

Narcan administered to save 2-year-old in Virginia, police say

Police in Virginia say they used Narcan to save the life of a 2-year-old boy who was found “unresponsive.” 

Ashley Polzer, 33, Prince William County, and Savannah Jones, 26, Manassas Park, have since been taken into custody following the incident Friday, according to the Manassas Park Police Department. 

Police said that morning, they responded to a residence in Manassas Park after receiving a call about “an unresponsive, 2-year-old male.” 

“When first responders arrived on scene they located the child, began lifesaving measures, and administered Narcan, which resulted in the reviving of the child,” police said in a statement. “The child was transported to Prince William Hospital and subsequently sent to Innova Fairfax for advanced medical care.” 

FDA APPROVES OVERDOSE REVERSAL DRUG, FIRST RESPONDERS SAY IT COULD SAVE LIVES 

The Manassas Park Police Department says it and the Manassas Park Fire Department responded to a residence there Friday and applied Narcan to save the life of a 2-year-old child. (Manassas Park Police Department)

Both women have been charged with providing false identification to law enforcement, while Polzer also was arrested for possession of drug paraphernalia. 

“Law Enforcement personnel located two individuals within the residence that were wanted out Prince William County, Warren County, and Fairfax County,” police also said, noting that the women were subjects of several outstanding warrants. “Manassas Park Detectives obtained and executed a search warrant at the residence in an effort to further the investigation.” 

Narcan, generically known as naloxone, is a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

“Naloxone can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose,” the NIH says on its website. 

YOUTH OPIOID OVERDOSES ON THE RISE AS SCHOOLS STRUGGLE TO FIGHT THE EPIDEMIC 

The FDA recently approved an over-the-counter Narcan nasal spray.

The FDA recently approved an over-the-counter Narcan nasal spray. (Fox News)

The incident happened weeks after the Food and Drug Administration approved a Narcan nasal spray for over-the-counter sales. 

Doctors and first responders say making this opioid-reversal drug more available could help lower the number of people dying from overdoses.     

The over-the-counter version of Narcan might not be available until the summer but is available at many local health departments or by asking a pharmacist.   

In February, Montgomery County Public Schools in Maryland — which has had Narcan on all of its campuses since the 2018-2019 school year — told Fox News Digital they HAve used Narcan 11 times this academic year, including in January when a student had a medical emergency at a high school in Silver Spring. 

The student was revived in the ambulance with Narcan. 

The Laguna Beach Unified School District in California provides its athletic teams with nalaoxone, or Narcan, kits for out-of-town events. Other districts in the U.S. have Narcan on their campuses as well.

The Laguna Beach Unified School District in California provides its athletic teams with nalaoxone, or Narcan, kits for out-of-town events. Other districts in the U.S. have Narcan on their campuses as well. (Fox News)

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Maryland is not the only place struggling to combat youth opioid overdoses. Los Angeles Unified schools also have announced plans to update their policy to allow students to carry Narcan with them, according to a recent LA Times report.  

In Minnesota, lawmakers are looking to pass a law requiring schools to have Narcan. Additionally, in Oregon, lawmakers are looking to increase access at businesses and allow teachers to administer it without parental consent. 

Fox News’ Mills Hayes, Sally Persons and Mike Emanuel contributed to this report. 

Greg Norman is a reporter at Fox News Digital.

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