Opioid Addiction Crisis Declared a Public Health Emergency in Virginia
Governor Terry McAuliffe today (11/21/2016) announced that State Health Commissioner Marissa J. Levine, MD, MPH, FAAFP, has declared the Virginia opioid addiction crisis a Public Health Emergency.
This declaration comes in response to the growing number of overdoses attributed to opioid use, and evidence that Carfentanil, a highly dangerous synthetic opioid used to sedate large animals such as elephants, has made its way its way into Virginia. A Public Health Emergency is an event, either natural or manmade, that creates a health risk to the public.
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The Virginia General Assembly convened January 13 and adjourned on March 12, 2016. This sixty-day session included a number of EMS, fire and other public safety bills and resolutions for consideration by the assembly. TEMS provides an EMS, fire and public safety bill list with links to the actual bill text and information found on General Assembly's legislative information system. Those interested can also visit the 
