Virginians have reason to feel encouraged by the latest reports from state and federal officials of the death count in the ongoing battle against fatal overdoses of fentanyl and other drugs.

In April, the Virginia Department of Health Office of the Chief Medical Examiner announced that deaths from fentanyl overdoses in the commonwealth were down 44% from the previous year. They are down 46% from the worst year on record, 2021.

Meanwhile, federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that Virginia led the nation in its year-over-year drop in all overdose deaths, which were down 41% for the 12-month period ending November 2024.

Gov. Glenn Youngkin, who took office in January 2022 when fentanyl overdose deaths were at epidemic levels in Virginia and across the nation, has made addressing the crisis a priority.

His wife, Suzanne Youngkin, has joined the cause, leading the “It Only Takes One” campaign in concert with Attorney General Jason Miyares, one of several efforts aimed at raising awareness, especially among parents and young people, about fentanyl’s dangers.

Youngkin praised those and other state initiatives for helping to reduce the numbers of fatal overdoses.

One new law bans everyone except permitted manufacturers from having or distributing the pill presses that compress powders into tablets. Another new law imposes stiffer penalties on those who make or distribute drugs containing fentanyl that later cause a death.

“Operation Free,” a new law enforcement partnership among federal, state and local agencies, has intensified efforts against the drug trade in Virginia.

Officials also have done more to make the life-saving drug naloxone readily available to people, without fear of arrest, and to teach people how to use it to help someone with overdose symptoms. Naloxone, usually a nasal spray, can block the effects of opioids including fentanyl. Since July 2022, the Virginia Department of Health has distributed more than 388,000 doses of naloxone.

The focus on fentanyl makes sense: In recent years, fentanyl has accounted for more than 70% of overdose deaths in the U.S. as well as in Virginia.

Fentanyl, a powerful pain reliever, started as a prescription drug used mostly for terminal cancers and other severe problems. Aggressive campaigns by pharmaceutical companies prompted doctors to prescribe fentanyl for many more ailments. By 2012, many patients were addicted, and fentanyl, easily manufactured, became a sought-after street drug.

The pandemic, with all its stresses and disruptions, made a bad situation worse in 2020 and 2021. Since 2020, more people in Virginia have died of drug overdoses than by motor vehicle accidents or gun-related incidents combined.

It wasn’t until the fall of 2024 that the tide began to turn. In October, the latest 12-month figures showed a substantial decline nationwide, including in Virginia. Preliminary data show that 1,396 people in Virginia died of drug overdose that year, down from 2,463 in 2023. That’s a substantial and encouraging decrease.

There are many reasons for the drop, including the fact that doctors are more informed and less likely to prescribe fentanyl except in extreme cases. National efforts for several years to rein in Mexican drug cartels have cut the supply of fentanyl in the U.S., helping to make drugs on the street less lethal.

And yes, campaigns such as those in Virginia to spread the word about the dangers of fentanyl and how to protect against it are making a difference. So are efforts to change attitudes toward addicts, and to do more to help them overcome the problem.

Make no mistake: There is still more to do. Nearly 1,400 Virginians a year having their lives cut short unnecessarily by drugs is unacceptable, as are the uncounted tragedies of those who survive in difficult circumstances because of their addiction.

The battle against the harm done by fentanyl and other drugs is not over. But we are seeing progress and learning more about what strategies will work as we continue the fight.