FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. — From January to March of 2019, there were 324 fatal opioid overdoses in the state of Virginia.
According to Fairfax County’s website, 22 of those deaths occurred in Fairfax County, the most for any Virginia jurisdiction.
"In Fairfax County, more people die from overdoses than car accidents," the county's website said.
The Virginia Department of Health’s report said opioids have been the driving force behind the increase in deadly overdoses, and overdose is the leading method of unnatural death in Virginia since 2013.
According to VDH, Fentanyl caused or contributed to more than half of the fatal overdoses in 2018.
When it comes to tackling the opioid epidemic, Fairfax County has formed an Opioid Task Force Plan that aims to reduce deaths and use data to tackle the epidemic.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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