Virginia officials have launched a war on fentanyl, vowing to significantly reduce the number of fentanyl-related deaths in their state.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican who took office in 2022, called fentanyl a “weapon of terrorism.”
Fentanyl was responsible for the deaths of at least 70,600 Americans in 2022 and caused more than 1,950 deaths in Virginia alone.
The synthetic opioid enters the US via the southern border and contaminates the illicit drug supply, devastating local communities and major cities alike.
The Republican governor issued a slew of initiatives to meet his goal of reducing opioid overdoses in Virginia by 20 percent during his term.
Gov. Glenn Youngkin, a Republican, has set a goal of reducing opioid overdoses in Virginia by 20% during his tenure
The number of fentanyl-related deaths in the US continues to spiral out of control
The chart above shows the CDC estimates of the number of deaths caused by drug overdoses each year
Gov. Youngkin on Tuesday signed the executive order directing the Department of Health and Human Services to develop a wastewater monitoring plan “to determine the frequency, efficacy and incidence of fentanyl use at specific locations.”
The order also gave individual counties within the state more leeway to procure kits of the “miracle drug” naloxone for overdoses and directs law enforcement agencies to step up efforts to ban drug shipments into the state.
It also directed state departments, including those responsible for health, social security and corrections, to improve oversight of fatal overdoses, drug prohibition and public awareness.
Opioids, particularly the potent synthetic fentanyl, have taken a significant toll on Virginians as the number of fatal fentanyl overdoses has risen twenty-fold since 2013, Gov. Youngkin said.
He added, “We cannot stand by and watch Virginians lose their lives when there are steps we can take to combat this deadly fentanyl poisoning crisis.” “We must act.”
Richmond, the Virginia capital, is one of the hotspots for fatal opioid overdoses with 272 deaths in 2022, including 262 from fentanyl.
The number of overdose fatalities from all opioids in Virginia reached 2,104 in 2022, down slightly from the 2021 figure of 2,229 but well above the 2019 total of 1,298.
The vast majority of these deaths were caused by fentanyl.
The drug was introduced in the 1960s as a pain reliever and intravenous anesthetic. In the 1990s, pharmaceutical companies developed fentanyl patches that deliver the drug through the skin to treat severe pain in cancer patients.
But it has increasingly been found in the illicit drug trade, often as a contaminant in other drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine and benzodiazepines, meaning many people take it unknowingly.
As little as two milligrams of fentanyl, which is equivalent to about 10 to 15 grains of table salt, can be deadly.
Preliminary figures from the state show that the synthetic drug, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, killed more than 1,950 people last year and more than 2,000 the year before.
John Littel, Virginia Secretary of Health, said, “Today, five Virginians will die from fentanyl.”
“Tomorrow, every day this year, an average of five Virginians will die from this deadly drug.”
Within the next four months, the state health department must develop a cost-effective way to monitor the sewage system for levels of opioids, including fentanyl and heroin.
The goal is to use surveillance data to inform resource allocation, meaning that communities with the highest levels of opiate use will have better access to naloxone and drug treatment options.
The order also directs the Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security to improve the state law enforcement system’s ability to interdict illicit drug shipments in and across the state.
In addition, Youngkin directed a number of state agencies, such as the Department of Social Services and the Department of Criminal Justice, to develop a more effective and thorough method of recording and reporting fatal and non-fatal opioid overdoses “to enable immediate prohibition and investigation.” . , and Control Efforts” in the neighborhoods where overdose increases are highest.
Fentanyl has afflicted American cities and communities of all sizes. A recent government report shows that fatal synthetic opioid overdoses more than tripled from 2016 to 2021, rising from 5.7 per 100,000 in 2016 to 21.6 in 2021.
In Virginia in particular, according to preliminary figures for 2022, this rate is about 22 per 100,000 people. In 2021 it was almost 24 per 100,000, up from about 19 in 2020.
The fentanyl overdose rate skyrocketed in the first year of the Covid pandemic, reaching 11.3 per capita in 2019, the highest level since the start of the Covid-19 crisis.
The rise in fentanyl use in recent years has mostly affected teenagers. Analysis of official overdose data shows that in 1999 there were only nine fentanyl-related deaths among people aged 20 and under. By 2021, however, there were already 1,550.
Virginia is just one of 50 states and DC grappling with the scourge of deadly fentanyl on their streets.
Neighboring West Virginia has the highest death rate of all, at about 91 per 100,000 total population, according to 2021 figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The drug was originally manufactured in India and China and shipped to recipients across North America. Since then, makeshift labs have sprung up in Mexico to get the precursor chemicals from Asia, mix them or make pills, and smuggle them to the US
Even a tiny dose of fentanyl can result in a fatal overdose. Just two milligrams, the equivalent of five grains of salt, are enough to cause death
Northwest Virginia consistently has the highest rates of overdoses caused by opioids (excluding heroin). But southwestern Virginia had the highest rates of heroin overdoses.
Second and third places went to Tennessee and Louisiana with 56.6 deaths per 100,000 and 55.9 deaths per 100,000, respectively.
To address the ongoing crisis, which stems from a long history of poor regulation and pharmaceutical industry misconduct, federal regulators have taken steps to make the nasal spray version of naloxone more accessible to the people who need it, as well as to Good Samaritans who need it Carry it with you in case someone nearby overdoses.
The appeal of the nasal spray, marketed under the Narcan name, lies in the combination of its effectiveness and ease of use.
The plunger that delivers 4 mg of nebulized naloxone hydrochloride into the nose is similar to an over-the-counter allergy medication and starts working immediately.
A recent study from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts found that over 93 percent of people given naloxone survived their overdose.
Nevertheless, they need additional medical help immediately afterwards, since the effects do not last long.
When inhaled, the drug is absorbed through the mucous membranes in the nose, quickly enters the bloodstream and travels to the brain.
There, the drug competes with opioids by binding to receptors in the brain.
It binds to the brain’s receptors and replaces the opioid. This weakens the effects of opiates on the brain and prevents the progression of an overdose.
Fentanyl is an incredibly insidious substance that’s often added to drugs like cocaine, ecstasy, and meth as an adulterant because it’s both cheap and effective, keeping users coming back for more.
But often users of heroin and non-opiate drugs are unaware that they are taking fentanyl and may not have naloxone on hand.
For this reason, the federal government’s goal is to make the antidote ubiquitous without having to speak to a pharmacist, whether in large retail stores or vending machines.