Youngkin signs three bills to address addiction, overdose prevention

Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin signed three pieces of legislation this week designed to address addiction and overdose prevention in schools and communities statewide.

One of the new laws requires local school boards to develop policies and procedures for opioid overdose prevention and treatment, while another aims to combat the manufacturing of Xylazine, a non-opioid sedative that is not approved for use by humans but is increasingly being found in illicit drugs. The third bill renames the "Drug Treatment Court Act" as the "Recovery Court Act" to reflect a broader focus on recovery rather than just treatment.

Youngkin signed the legislation at Abingdon High School with more than 500 students in attendance. There, he pledged to continue the fight against the opioid epidemic in Virginia.

“These bills are a testament to our continued efforts to address addiction and overdose prevention by raising awareness and providing much-needed resources,” Youngkin said. “We will continue to follow every path, use every asset, and employ every bit of our shared will to combat this epidemic."