WASHINGTON — With hundreds of Virginians dying from heroin or prescription drug overdoses each year, including many in Northern Virginia, the General Assembly is taking up new plans to combat the problem and save lives.
“I don’t want another parent to have to bury a child, and I don’t want another child to lose a parent to heroin or a prescription drug overdose,” Attorney General Mark Herring says.
He has drummed up support for four bills that are being introduced by a mix of Democrats and Republicans that would add a good Samaritan law to encourage people to call for help if they witness or are otherwise aware of an overdose, expand the use of the anti-overdose drug naloxone to any law enforcement agency in Virginia, make it easier for prosecutors to go after dealers whose drugs lead to death, and give probation officers access to a prescription monitoring program.
Both Maryland and Virginia have already taken some actions aimed at stopping the tide of overdoses that have spiked in recent years.
“This is a complex problem. It’s not going to be solved by one agency or one strategy, but right now we think these bills can make a real difference, and, hopefully, save the lives of Virginians who themselves are struggling with addiction,” Herring says.
“Education, prevention and treatment must be a part of the solution, along with the measures that we’re proposing here today because this is not just a law enforcement issue, it is a public health issue,” he adds.
Herring says groups representing police and prosecutors support the bills, and he announced them alongside the leaders of a foundation that helps people deal with addiction.
He says the recent federal designation of several areas of Hampton Roads as “high intensity drug trafficking areas” will also provide more resources to help fight overdoses and addiction.
