Attorney General Miyares Launches New Public Awareness Tools for “One Pill Can Kill” Campaign

~ “One Pill Can Kill” aims to reduce opioid deaths, educate Virginians on the dangers of fentanyl-laced drugs, and provide community resources ~

RICHMOND, VA – Attorney General Jason Miyares launched a new website and advertising campaign for the public awareness initiative “One Pill Can Kill.” The One Pill Can Kill campaign will include a website with resources for Virginians, statewide billboards expected to launch in February 2024, and cable, broadcast, and digital/social media efforts in March 2024. The campaign is expected to run through October 2024.

The initiative, modeled after the Drug Enforcement Administration’s national campaign, was initially launched in 2022 as a series of Public Service Announcements aired statewide.

“The opioid epidemic has impacted every corner of the Commonwealth. It’s through education, prevention, and accessible resources that Virginians can fight back against the threat opioids and fake prescription pills present to us and to our loved ones,” said Attorney General Miyares. “One Pill Can Kill is the product of federal and state programs working together to combat the fentanyl and opioid crisis facing our country. It will encourage open, honest conversations amongst families to ensure the health, safety, and prosperity of all Virginians.”

The One Pill Can Kill campaign will be disseminated alongside the It Only Takes One campaign, which focuses on the opioid crisis in Roanoke, Virginia, led by First Lady of Virginia Suzanne S. Youngkin, with the support of Attorney General Miyares.

Fake prescription pills containing lethal substances like fentanyl pose a significant threat to public health in Virginia. Officials from the Drug Enforcement Agency report a dramatic rise in the number of fake pills containing at least 2 mg of fentanyl, which is considered a potentially lethal dose. Criminal drug networks are flooding the Commonwealth with these pills, masquerading them as legitimate prescription drugs and deceiving the public.

Laboratory testing indicates 7 out of every 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. In 2023, the DEA seized a record 74.5 million fentanyl pills, which exceeds 2022’s total of 58 million pills.

In 2022, an estimated 1,967 people died from overdoses of fentanyl or other synthetic opioids in Virginia. Fentanyl, the synthetic opioid most commonly found in fake pills, is the primary driver in this alarming increase in poisoning deaths.

Visit onepillcankillva.org to learn more about the campaign.



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