“Gov. Terry McAuliffe signed four bills on Thursday that are designed to battle the opioid epidemic in Virginia.
‘Abuse of opioids continues to kill Virginians,” said McAuliffe. “We recognize that addiction is a disease, not a moral failing, and our proposals for this General Assembly session focused on preventing addiction and providing treatment for those who suffer from it.’
The Virginia Department of Health projects that more than 1,000 people died from fatal opioid overdoses in 2016, a projection that would mean a 33 percent increase in the number of fatal opioid overdoses compared to 2015.
‘Opioids and prescription drugs are extremely addictive and make recovery very challenging,” said Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam. “We must continue to emphasize addiction prevention.’”
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