Drug Overdose and Substance Use

Drug use and addiction affect all communities in Virginia. Drug use can increase risk of infections like HIV and hepatitis C, overdose, death, or withdrawal in babies exposed to drugs in the womb. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) works to reduce overdoses and deaths from drugs. This page includes data about overdose and other health effects of drug use. You can also find resources to prevent and respond to overdose.

Virginia Fast Facts

Fewer people are dying from drug overdose every year, but the toll is still 2x that of 2006​


7 in 10 drug overdose deaths involve fentanyl

There are 44 drug overdose ED visits every day among Virginians

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From 2023 to 2024, there was a 10% increase in infants hospitalized with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)


In 2025, VDH distributed over 190,000 naloxone kits across the state​

Over $2.6 billion were lost last year in labor, healthcare, and other costs related to opioid misuse​

 

More Information

Drug Overdose​

    • There were 1,197 drug overdose deaths among Virginia residents in 2025, a 23% decrease from 2024. Death certificate data for 2025 are not final and are subject to change. ​
    • Data for 2024 show 1,548 drug overdose deaths among Virginia residents, a 37% decrease from 2023; drug overdose deaths peaked in 2021 at 2,622 deaths.​
    • Approximately seven in 10 drug overdose deaths involve fentanyl, fentanyl analogs, and/or tramadol.​
    • There were 16,416 drug overdose emergency department (ED) visits in 2025, a 10% decrease from 2024.​

​Overdose Prevention

    • In 2025, VDH distributed 193,226 free naloxone kits and 440,840 test strips to 585 community partners across Virginia. ​
    • More information for preventing overdose can be found on our VDH Overdose Prevention page.

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS)​

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS) is a condition when babies are exposed to certain drugs in the womb before birth. Drugs such as pain medications (opioids) or stimulants (like cocaine or meth) can cause NAS.​

    • In 2024, 420 Virginia infants were hospitalized with NAS, a 10% increase from 2023. Before 2024, NAS rates among Virginia infants were decreasing since 2019.​

Other Substance Use​

Alcohol Use​

    • The rate of acute alcohol-related ED visits increased 15% from 2020 to 2024.​
    • Inpatient hospitalizations related to acute (e.g., alcohol poisoning) and/or chronic (e.g., alcoholic liver disease) alcohol consumption increased 13% from 2020 to 2024.​

Cannabis Use​

    • In 2024, Virginians visited the ED over 2,600 times related to adverse effects of cannabis use (e.g., cannabis overdose, cannabinosis, cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome or excessive vomiting, cannabis dependence).​
    • Cannabis-related inpatient hospitalizations declined 19% from 2021 to 2024.​

​Related Data Products​

For additional information about drug overdose and substance use, email overdose@vdh.virginia.gov.