After sounding the alarm about a rise in opioid overdoses early last year, Fairfax County, Virginia, reported its fewest fatal opioid overdoses since 2015, according to preliminary data.
There were 71 fatal opioid overdoses last year, down from a record 117 in 2023. Notably, there weren’t any overdose deaths among kids aged 0-17, compared to five in 2023.
The promising data comes over a year after county officials and police warned opioid overdoses were rising in the county because of the cost and accessibility of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. During a board of supervisors committee meeting last year, Lt. Kevin White said officers were most frequently finding fentanyl in the shape of prescription medicines.
“Obviously, this is a huge step in the right direction,” said Ellen Volo, Fairfax County’s opioid response manager. “It’s very encouraging to see that trend line curving downward instead of continuing to increase. And yet, there’s still so much work to be done.”
Of the 71 fatal opioid overdoses last year, Volo said 68 of them involved fentanyl. Twenty-nine of them involved a combination of fentanyl and cocaine.
There were 17 nonfatal opioid overdoses last year among kids 17 and younger, down from 58 in 2023.
What’s behind a drop in deadly opioid overdoses
There have been major reductions across Virginia and nationally, Volo said, though there’s not one clear reason. The Food and Drug Administration’s decision to make the overdose-reversal drug naloxone available over the counter “could be a huge factor,” Volo said.
As of a few years ago, Volo said there weren’t treatment options for kids who had been using opioids. But the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board has started expanding access for medication treating opioid use disorder to kids. They’ve used opioid settlement funds to cover the cost, and it’s a treatment plan that’s been available to adults for several years.
“That’s a highly effective, evidence-based treatment, the medication for opioid use disorder,” Volo said. “Certainly, I think that’s having an impact.”
Locally, there have been peer-to-peer specialists who are helpful in working with people who have substance use challenges, Volo said.
In addition to expanding treatment, Volo said there’s a chance “that the amount of illicit fentanyl in the drug supply may be changing,” because the supply is changing and “it’s really difficult to keep track of it and know what’s in it.”
Though it isn’t tied to the change in recent data, Volo said Fairfax County Public Schools launched a campaign this spring aiming to help parents talk to their kids about fentanyl.
The Fairfax County health district also includes the cities of Fairfax and Falls Church and the towns of Herndon, Vienna and Clifton.
Alexandria reported a drop in fatal opioid overdoses from 22 to 16; Loudoun County fell from 23 to 12; and Prince William reported a slight increase, from 55 to 57.
Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.
© 2025 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.
