Virginia leads nation with greatest reduction of drug overdose deaths
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VIRGINIA (WWBT) – Governor Glenn Youngkin announced at a press conference Tuesday that Virginia is now seeing a 44% drop in fentanyl overdose deaths.
The Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner released this data.
“I am very pleased the CDC acknowledged that Virginia over the course of the last year has led the nation with the greatest reduction of overdoses in the entire country,” Youngkin said.
Since the governor took office, he and his wife, Suzanne Youngkin, have been on a mission to fight the fentanyl crisis. According to VDH, drug overdose deaths peaked in 2021, stealing the lives of more than 2,600 Virginians.
GovernorYoungkincreditsthereductiontoVirginialawmakerspassinglawsbanningpillpressesandto“OperationFree”,whichisalawenforcementpartnershiptocrackdownonthedrug.
“IwanttothankthemenandwomenwhostandwithusinourVirginiaStatePolice,ourDepartmentofCorrections,Iwanttothankourfriendsinhomelandsecuritydivisions,andIwanttothankourlocallawenforcement.”Gov.Youngkinsaid.
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