Va. Attorney General Launches Plan to Combat Drug Abuse, Overdoses

In response to a growing number of heroin overdoses across the state, Va. Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced his five-part plan to crack down on heroin and prescription drug abuse in Virginia at the Va. Association of Chiefs of Police in Roanoke Monday.

“Far too many Virginians are losing loved ones to prescription drug abuse and the resurgence of cheap, potent heroin,” said Attorney General Herring. “There’s no silver bullet to this spike in opiate abuse and fatalities, but we’ve identified things we can do right away to help turn the tide, and hopefully save lives.”

Herring’s plan includes prosecuting heroin fatality cases at the federal level and prioritizing heroin and prescription abuse cases among regional prosecutors. The plan also includes a “Good Samaritan” provision that will provide limited immunity from prosecution for minor offenses as well as more effective “drug induced homicide” statutes that make it easier to prosecute dealers whose drugs lead to a fatal overdose.

The plan also announced a day-long summit of law enforcement leaders, prosecutors, and health professionals to discuss heroin and prescription drug abuse on Oct. 2 in Charlottesville, Va.

Fatal heroin overdoses in Virginia rose from 103 in 2011 to 197 last year. More than 800 Virginians died from drug overdoses in 2012 alone, according to state figures.

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