Overdose deaths from opioids declining in Virginia, advocates say more work needs to be done

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — As Governor Glenn Youngkin doubles down on Virginia’s efforts to educate Virginians about the dangers of fentanyl statewide, data shows opioid overdose deaths continue to decline in the Commonwealth.

According to the most recent data from the Virginia Department of Health, synthetic opioid-related deaths, which include deaths caused by fentanyl, decreased from over 2,000 in 2021 to under 1,800 in 2023.

“If you want to prevent substance use disorder, then we need to educate ourselves, we need to educate the community because it is often stigmatized,” said Jesse Wysocki, Chief Operating Officer of the McShin Foundation, a Richmond-based recovery resource organization.

Wysocki said the decline is due to increased awareness about the dangers of fentanyl, and more people having access to and knowing how to use naloxone, a medicine that can reverse an opioid overdose.

Despite the decrease since 2021, Wysocki said that, with nearly five Virginians dying from an opioid overdose per day on average, more funding needs to be allocated to non-government organizations like McShin, which runs addiction recovery programs ranging in length from 28-90 days.

“While they are there, they get assigned a recovery coach who meets with them weekly,” said Wysocki. “They’ll get a linkage to detox if needed. Linkage to therapy. Linkage to a [psychological evaluation].”

It’s not just Virginia that is seeing a decrease in overall opioid overdose deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is also reporting that drug overdose deaths nationwide declined in 2023 for the first time in five years.

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