Virginia Attorney General Miyares launches ‘One Pill Can Kill’ awareness campaign

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares Nov. 22 launched his new “One Pill Can Kill” public awareness initiative, designed to help generate honest conversations amongst families about the threat that counterfeit drugs and opioids pose.

Miyares was joined by First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin, who spoke about her new “Women & Girls: Wellness” initiative.

“The opioid epidemic has had a devastating effect on our Commonwealth,” Miyares said. “There isn’t a corner of our state that hasn’t been touched by its pain and destruction. Tragically, overdose deaths are now not limited to addiction, but to counterfeit pills laced with a highly potent, deadly substance – fentanyl.

“Unfortunately, we’ve seen too many young people overdose and die after experimenting with these powerful drugs. As a father, this new threat terrifies me.”

Through the campaign, 30-second radio and television advertisements will run throughout the state warning listeners and viewers about the dangers of fentanyl and counterfeit drugs.

Following the press conference, Miyares and Youngkin hosted a roundtable discussion with community leaders and behavioral health specialists about how Virginia can effectively reduce opioid and counterfeit drug deaths.

“With a keen eye to improving the wellbeing of Virginians, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we celebrate an honest conversation around the realities of overdose and fentanyl poisoning,” said Youngkin. “I hope that families will prioritize difficult discussions, hug one another tight, and get trained in REVIVE! as, sadly, we know it only takes one pill to kill.”

In Virginia, the leading cause of unnatural death is drug overdoses – and it has been since 2013. Opioids (specifically fentanyl) have been the driving force behind the large increases, according to state data.

In 2021, fentanyl contributed to 76.4% of all Virginia overdose deaths. The total number of fatal fentanyl overdoses increased 22.8% from 2020 to 2021. Last year, according to estimates, some 98% of fatal fentanyl overdoses in Virginia were caused by the illicit (rather than prescription) version of the drug.