OPIOIDS EPIDEMIC

RICHMOND (WSLS 10) - Governor McAuliffe signed new bills today to help with the continuing opioid epidemic. The bills are designed to help people with their recovery process and help create better prescription practices for doctors. The new regulations will also require that when a person with an addiction is prescribed buprenorphine they will get counseling. Governor McAuliffe signed the following bills:SB848 (Wexton) and HB1453 (LaRock) allow community organizations to possess and dispense naloxone to those that they train to use it. “Abuse of opioids continues to kill Virginians,” said Governor McAuliffe.

ROANOKE (WSLS 10) - Attorney General Mark R. Herring relaunched www.HardestHitVA.com as a one-stop shop for prevention and educational materials on Virginia's heroin and prescription drug abuse crisis on Monday. Through June 30 of this year, approximately 208 Virginians have died of a heroin overdose, 288 of a fentanyl overdose, and 220 of a prescription opioid overdose. In 2015, 342 Virginians died of a heroin overdose, 224 of a fentanyl overdose, and 397 of a prescription drug overdose. "Nearly 1,000 Virginians died of a heroin or opioid overdose last year and this year is on pace to be even deadlier. When we started thinking about tools we could bring to this fight against heroin and prescription drug abuse, we knew that education and prevention had to be priorities right alongside enforcement and legislation," said Herring.

PULASKI (WSLS 10) - Pulaski County leaders said they want to make early education a top priority in the fight against drugs. On Monday night, the Pulaski County Board of Supervisors will evaluate what the county is currently doing to battle addiction, like the drug court and drug take back events. There will soon be new resources for these ideas because Pulaski County was just designated as a high intensity drug trafficking area. "I'm sure they don't wake up thinking that, but it's something that happens over time." County leaders said they are hopeful this federal money will start coming in the next couple of months.