Fentanyl has become a serious crisis in Virginia. In 2022 alone, it claimed the lives of 1,951 people, and since 2020, more Virginians have died from drug overdoses than from car accidents and gun-related deaths combined. Sadly, fentanyl overdoses continued to take lives in 2023, with approximately 1,700 deaths reported. Today, drug overdose is the leading cause of unnatural death in the state.
Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid; it’s about fifty times stronger than heroin and one hundred times stronger than morphine. Because of its strength, even a small amount can be deadly. To fight back against this crisis, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed Executive Order 26 in May 2023, launching a plan to address fentanyl use across the Commonwealth.
Virginia leaders are also working hard to raise awareness. First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin partnered with the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth and Attorney General Jason Miyares’ One Pill Can Kill campaign to start It Only Takes One, a statewide initiative to help young people understand the risks of fentanyl and encourage important conversations.
In addition, the Virginia Department of Emergency Management (VDEM) is leading Operation FREE Virginia, an effort focused on training first responders, emergency managers, and communities so they’re better prepared to respond to overdoses and save lives.