Opioid Epidemic Cost Virginian’s Three And A Half Billion Dollars In 2020
The overall costs of the Opioid Epidemic in Virginia is being reported at more than three billion dollars in 2020. The Virginia Department of Health’s online calculator shows the three and a half billion dollar economic impact to Virginian’s in lost labor, healthcare, crime and other costs. In 2020, an average of more than four people died of an opioid drug overdose everyday in the Commonwealth. The opioid cost calculator was developed by Virginia Commonwealth University, in hopes of helping support ongoing policy changes at the state and local levels.