NORFOLK, Va. — As many families prepare to gather for the holidays, Attorney General Jason Miyares wants many to be reminded of the lives lost due to opioid use.
“Every day, four Virginians lose their lives [because of opioids], and there are families that are impacted,” he said.
Miyares said that over the last 12 months, more than 100,000 people have died from drug overdoses.
“That is the equivalent of two Vietnam Wars in 12 months," Miyares said.
"We lost a little of 50,000 in Vietnam in 15 years.”
According to data from the Virginia Department of Health, the leading cause of unnatural death in the state has been drug overdoses since 2013.
Fentanyl contributed to over 76% all fatal overdoses in 2021. First Lady Suzanne Youngkin said she knows that feeling of loss.
“Precious people that were members of our lives, of our intimate communities, who had been poisoned by this illicit drug,” she said.
Miyares is tackling the growing trend through a new initiative called 'One Pill Can Kill.'
It's a PSA set to run across the state for 60 days, and it's designed to start conversations surrounding fentanyl and its harmful effects.
He launched the initiative Tuesday morning at the Barry Robinson Center.
He said his office is fighting the epidemic in other ways as well, like recovery efforts and prosecution. The other part of his job in this process is to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable.
“[Companies] That push so many of these opioids into so many of these communities that has led to some of the largest settlements in Virginia history,” he said.
First Lady Suzanne Youngkin also discussed her new “Women & Girls: Wellness” initiative.
Following the press conference, they hosted a roundtable discussion with community leaders and behavioral health specialists about how Virginia can effectively reduce opioid and counterfeit drug deaths.