‘It Only Takes One’: First Lady Youngkin brings fentanyl awareness push to VCU

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — First Lady Suzanne Youngkin brought her statewide fentanyl awareness campaign to Virginia Commonwealth University on Tuesday, December 3.

Dozens of students gathered at VCU’s Stuart C. Siegel Center, where they learned just how lethal the synthetic opioid can be.

“It takes the equivalent of two grains of salt to kill a person… of fentanyl,” the First Lady told the crowd.

Alongside public health advocates and recovery leaders, the First Lady emphasized the importance of shifting how communities talk about substance use, especially among young adults.

Tom Bannard, program coordinator for VCU’s Rams in Recovery, said the narrative must move away from judgment and toward support.

“It’s not just this like, ‘Oh, you use substances you need to go over there,’” Bannard said. “It’s okay, you’re struggling with substances. We need to figure out how we can support you, how we can keep you alive and safe until you’re ready to make some changes.”

The event was part of Youngkin’s 'It Only Takes One' initiative and its Fentanyl College Ambassador Program. It's a peer-driven effort aimed at empowering students to recognize dangers, intervene early and get trained to save a life.

Youngkin said an increase in prevention and awareness efforts like this, have contributed to a decline in drug overdose deaths state-wide.

"Virginia is now leading the nation in terms of the overall reduction of overdose deaths, down some almost 60% from when we started this journey in 2022," he said.

She also credited VCU for its role in that work, pointing to its recovery support services, research investments and on-campus response programs.

“You’re playing your part by making sure that Rams in Recovery is front and center,” she said. “There’s the Motivate Clinic. You’re investing millions of dollars into research and ways to navigate and triage people when they come into emergency rooms. And so I think we’re all working very collaboratively to make change.”

Students also heard personal testimonies from people in recovery and from families who lost loved ones to overdoses.

The event ended with hands-on Narcan training, equipping students with a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose within minutes.

“What I want you to know is that all of this effort has not been for naught,” Youngkin said. “We are seeing it make a difference across our communities.”

Youngkin encouraged Virginians to talk openly about risks, check in with friends and family, and learn how to use naloxone.