Virginia General Assembly

Law Requires Schools to Carry EpiPens

Death of Ammaria Johnson sparks legislation aimed at saving lives.

By Amir Vera Capital News Service RICHMOND – When Tiffany Glass Ferreira’s son Charlie was 3, she offered him a treat that nearly killed him. “I gave him cashews. He took one bite and started to have a severe reaction, where he was crying, grabbing his tongue – his face started to swell,” Ferreira said. “He looked like a Klingon, like a science-fiction character.” Charlie, now 5, ultimately recovered. To save other children from potentially fatal reactions to food allergies, Virginia last week adopted a law requiring schools to carry epinephrine auto-injectors, such as EpiPens. These devices deliver a single dose of epinephrine, or adrenaline, into the thigh of someone suffering a life-threatening allergic reaction. After talking with …

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