CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) — Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) is advocating for naloxone, better known by its brand name, Narcan, to be made available on every flight.
Naloxone is an FDA-approved medicine that works by binding to opioid receptors and effectively reverses and blocks the effects of opioids such as heroin and oxycodone.
Senator Capito said that she has personal experience and heard stories from others who agree that if the measure were adopted by the FAA, it could be life-saving, especially considering the ongoing opioid epidemic that affects our region.
“I was able to get 13 wins in here highlighting, one of which is to make sure, or at least encourage all airlines to be able to have naloxone on flight, I have personal, anecdotal experience from West Virginians who have witnessed overdose on a plane and wondering if the training is there and the naloxone for an overdose,” said Senator Capito.
In Thursday’s FAA meeting, she also spoke of an idea to allocate more money to West Virginia Airlines to make it easier and safer to access naloxone while flying above the mountainous region.