Spotsylvania

One Pill Can Kill: Miyares, Durant, and Survivors Lead Fentanyl Awareness Talk in Spotsy

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares led a “One Pill Can Kill” town hall Tuesday evening at Salem Fields Community Church, joined by state and local leaders who warned that fentanyl remains the state’s most urgent drug threat.

Miyares told the audience that fentanyl is “100 times more powerful than heroin” and that his office has prosecuted enough cases to remove the supply that could have killed nearly seven million Virginians. He called the drug not an overdose but “poison, turned into murder,” and said just two cartels are responsible for most of the synthetic drugs entering Virginia.

The Attorney General highlighted progress made since he took office, pointing to Virginia’s ranking as number one in the nation for reducing addiction deaths. He credited laws passed in recent years that have targeted both supply and demand. “We’re winning the battle due to laws enacted,” Miyares said, though he warned that children are still being offered fentanyl disguised as common medications like Xanax or aspirin, even at sleepovers.

State Senator Tara Durant told attendees she was grateful to see the state hosting fentanyl awareness events, pointing out how the crisis has grown from fewer than 10,000 overdose deaths nationwide in the 1980s to tens of thousands each year today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl was linked to more than 48,000 deaths in 2024, a sharp drop from over 76,000 the year before, but still a staggering toll. Durant said efforts to strengthen penalties for drug dealers, including legislation to allow homicide charges in fentanyl-related deaths, have repeatedly failed on party-line votes. “Only one death is too many,” Durant said. “We need to send the message that dealers are not welcome here.”

Law enforcement leaders on the panel, including members of the Stafford and Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Offices and the DEA, said they continue to track and arrest dealers but acknowledged that “we can’t arrest our way out of this.” They described fentanyl as both a public health and public safety concern, noting that deputies have been incapacitated during routine traffic stops involving the drug.

Melissa Webb, a 33-year-old King George County resident, shared her story of addiction and survival. She said she began using it as a way to escape life, influenced by friends and relationships, and that quitting was far harder than starting. “It was much harder walking away than it was starting,” Webb said. “But recovery is real, and I think we should support people and not stigmatize them for their past decisions”.

Panelists also pointed to the $1.5 billion settlement Virginia received from lawsuits against fentanyl makers, the largest settlement in state history. The money is being directed toward local treatment and recovery programs.

After the panel, the Rappahannock Area Community Services Board led a REVIVE! training, showing attendees how to recognize the signs of an overdose and administer naloxone, a drug that can reverse its effects and save lives.

The town hall came just days before National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Governor Glenn Youngkin ordered that U.S. and Virginia flags be flown at half-staff across the state on Thursday, August 21. In his proclamation, Youngkin said the day is a reminder of “the lives lost to fentanyl poisoning, the families forever affected, and the profound impact this crisis has on our communities.”

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  • I'm the Founder and Publisher of Potomac Local News. Raised in Woodbridge, I'm now raising my family in Northern Virginia and care deeply about our community. If you're not getting our FREE email newsletter, you are missing out. Subscribe Now!

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