After sounding the alarm about a rise in opioid overdoses early last year, Fairfax County, Virginia, reported its fewest fatal opioid overdoses since 2015, according to preliminary data.

There were 71 fatal opioid overdoses last year, down from a record 117 in 2023. Notably, there weren’t any overdose deaths among kids aged 0-17, compared to five in 2023.

The promising data comes over a year after county officials and police warned opioid overdoses were rising in the county because of the cost and accessibility of counterfeit pills laced with fentanyl. During a board of supervisors committee meeting last year, Lt. Kevin White said officers were most frequently finding fentanyl in the shape of prescription medicines.

“Obviously, this is a huge step in the right direction,” said Ellen V

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