ICYMI: Virginia's First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin and New Jersey's First Lady Tammy Murphy Partner to Raise Awareness on the Dangers of Fentanyl

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA – On Sep 13th, Virginia's First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin joined New Jersey's First Lady Tammy Murphy on a visit to the Health Sciences Academy at Bayside High School as part of their bi-partisan push to tackle the fentanyl crisis through education and awareness. Both First Ladies took a student-led tour of the high school and participated in a rapid, REVIVE! training followed by two, round-table discussions with students and educators to better understand views surrounding substance use disorders and the dangers of fentanyl.

The visit follows on the heels of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day during which a majority of first spouses joined Murphy and Youngkin in efforts to raise awareness. It also coincides with Governor Youngkin’s announcement that the It Only Takes One fentanyl awareness initiative — a multi-media and community activism campaign — will be spread across the Commonwealth having proved highly effective in its initial pilot. 

"Fentanyl doesn’t discriminate and on average we are losing five Virginians a day to the synthetic opioid," said First Lady Suzanne S. Youngkin. "On Sep 13th’s visit is a powerful reminder that education and awareness are key to saving lives, and through partnerships like this, we can bring hope and healing to our communities."

“Too many families have felt the pain of losing a loved one to the opioid crisis, which has tragically reached all corners of our country. Given the dangers of fentanyl and other addictive substances, raising awareness and encouraging education on important tools like naloxone is critical to saving lives,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “I am proud to partner with First Lady Youngkin as we together face down the challenges impacting our communities and prepare our students to understand the risks of substances, how to reduce harm and how to reach out for care.”

“Teens need to know that it only takes one pill to change their lives forever,” said Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Resources Janet Kelly. “Teens listen to other teens so they have the power to save lives by telling their friends that fentanyl is dangerous and deadly.” 

“We appreciate the first ladies of Virginia and New Jersey for speaking to our students and staff about this important topic,” said VBCPS Superintendent Dr. Donald Robertson Jr. “Awareness and education are two of the best defenses against opioid misuse and overdoses. VBCPS takes the opioid epidemic seriously. The school division encourages families to talk about the dangers of opioid abuse, participate in forums such as the One Pill Can Kill Family Connection Webinar and review this link to state and federal resources with critical information you can share with your children to ensure the health and safety of all students.”