Confronting Virginia’s Opioid Epidemic
Since 2013, drug overdoses have been the number one cause of accidental deaths in Virginia. The Virginia Commonwealth University’s (VCU) Center on Society and Health has partnered with Virginia’s Department of Health to create a new tool to help better represent the economic impact of the crisis.
It’s called the Virginia Opioid Cost Data Tool (VOCDT) and it’s shedding important new light on the effects not only of the opioid crisis in the state but also on the impact of ongoing remediation efforts.
Dr. Derek Chapman, director of VCU’s Center on Society and Health, explained that evidence based opioid care was already known to be life-saving and worth further investment.
With this new statistical tool, he and other experts are hopeful that the need for investing in evidence based care and the resultant progress will be better demonstrated to the public and policymakers.
Confronting Virginia’s Opioid Epidemic
When analyzed through this new lens, the latest set of complete data (2023) already shows several positive trends. Harm reduction centers in Virginia reversed approximately 2,085 overdoses in 2023.
Dr. Chapman adds that these overdose reversal rates are higher than the number of fatal overdoses over the same period.
Furthermore, Virginia was ranked third in states leading the decline in overdose deaths in 2024, as previously reported by Rehab.com.
Experts are also optimistic that the number of opioid deaths in 2024 will decline drastically but will only be certain once the 2024 data is complete.
The main focus, however, is on the fact that 70% of drug-related deaths were preventable and that evidence based care could’ve helped to prevent more deaths.
The Economic Impact of Opioid Addiction in Virginia
Economically, these rates are represented as “costing” Virginia $5.2 billion across all sectors (which has increased from $3.5 billion in 2020).
Put differently, the opioid epidemic currently costs each Virginian $593 per year, far above the national average of $260 per taxpayer, according to Rehab.com’s Drug Statistics Report, over the same period.
One of the tool’s new features is a map of Virginia that breaks these costs down further by county. According to Dr. Chapman, this localized data could help state and local agencies get a better idea of where to invest in order to have the most positive impact.
How Addiction Impacts Families and Communities
Another helpful aspect of having a tool like this is that it shows how the impacts of addiction and overdoses ripple out from the families at the epicenter of each of these events.
For example, more addiction and overdose means fewer people in the labor force and contributing to taxes, all Virginians pay more for public and private healthcare, and this strain means that other programs like education and criminal justice get less funding.
For this reason, experts suggest that investment in evidence based treatment programs can help improve people’s health, save money, and boost overall economic productivity.
These are Rehab.com’s 10 Best Rehabs in Virginia as of Summer 2025.
Finding Opioid Treatment and Rehab in Virginia
The latest data out of Virginia makes one thing clear: recovery is possible and evidence based opioid care works. If you or someone you love is struggling with opioid addiction, help is available.
Explore Rehab.com’s national treatment directory to find top rated drug rehab centers and opioid treatment programs in Virginia or call
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