VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (WVEC) --Virginia Beach Public Schools is on the forefront of teaching students about prescription drug addiction.
Now, the 2-year-old curriculum might be used statewide. The state sub-education committee passed House Bill 1532, with a 8-0 vote.
The curriculum is for students in 1st through 10th grade. In the program, teachers go over the dangers of opioid prescription drugs in age appropriate ways.
On Monday, Carolyn Weems testified in front of the committee for the bill to pass.
Weems said her daughter, Caitlyn died in 2013 from opioid drug addiction.
“She [Caitlyn] had eight or nine different, really strong medications,” Weems said. “She had a back injury and then face injury playing sports and she got very addicted to painkillers.”
Weems is a school board member for Virginia Beach Public Schools, and helped develop the Virginia Beach Public School educational curriculum.
“I know that Kaitlyn want me to do that because… she did not like what she was,’’ said Weems
The Virginia Beach School District’s Administrative Coordinator Department of Teaching and Learning, Nicole Devries said, “it certainly it would be an honor,” to have their program used state wide.
Devries said they tell kids age appropriate and science based information to make them think critically.
Weems said a program like this could’ve saved her daughter’s life.
“We were just uninformed,” said Weems. “She would want other people to be able to kick this and not even get in this situation of being addicted to these strong medications.”
The bill will move to the full education committee, if passed, it will move to the Virginia Senate.