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Articles by Suzanne S. Youngkin
Getting Virginians the right help, right now, to prevent suicide
OPINION: Suicide prevention cannot be confined to a single month of awareness. It must remain an urgent priority every day of the year. Nearly 50,000 Americans, including more than 1,200 Virginians, die by suicide annually. Young men are at particular risk. They represent the largest share of these heartbreaking deaths, a stark reminder that no community is immune and no family is untouched.
United to stop fentanyl deaths
Since its inception in 2023, National Naloxone Awareness Day is a time to acknowledge the danger of the synthetic opioid, fentanyl, as well as the importance of the opioid overdose reversal drug, naloxone. On this day, Virginians are reminded that on average three Virginians lose their life to fentanyl every day.
Column: Virginia is turning the tide on fentanyl deaths
Virginia is seeing real progress in reducing overdose deaths. For the first time in years, data shows overdose deaths are declining nationwide — and here in the commonwealth, we’re helping drive that trend. Virginia reported a 44% decrease in overdose deaths over the past year and a 46% drop from its peak in 2021.
Suzanne Youngkin: One conversation can save a life
In the autumn of 2020, we lost a young friend in a mysterious death. When, months later, the coroner determined he had died from an accidental fentanyl overdose, that truth didn’t seem possible. An exceptional student and athlete, he made the mistake of taking a pill that he thought was Percocet. And never woke up. It only took that one mistake to take his life. As a mother of four, the tragedy of this death hit me hard. I also understood this could happen to anyone’s child.
Eating disorders in Virginia: Addressing the silent struggle
Across commonwealth communities, countless individuals grapple with eating disorders — complex health conditions that often remain hidden. Nationally, approximately 28.8 million Americans will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime, with these disorders affecting 9% of the U.S. population. In Virginia, this translates to hundreds of thousands of our neighbors, friends, and family members facing eating disorder challenges daily.
Opinion | Protect Kids From Social Media
When data reinforce lived realities, we need to pay attention. Jonathan Haidt’s “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness” demonstrates that social media and digital technology are contributing to rising mental-health issues among today’s youth. As parents of four Generation Z children who grew up during the rise of the internet, Glenn and I found Mr. Haidt’s insights particularly harrowing.
We're the First Ladies of Virginia & New Jersey. We Need a New Way to Talk to Kids About Drugs
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In Case You Missed It: Fentanyl is a community threat. It’s time for the community to respond.
Fentanyl has played a role in more than 75% of all drug overdose deaths in Virginia. In the last three years alone, some 6,000 people in our commonwealth have been killed by fentanyl. More than 300 of them lived in the Roanoke area. An estimated five Virginians will die from a fentanyl overdose every day this year: mothers, fathers, children, friends and coworkers. Each and every one of these losses is a tragedy. There’s no such thing as “not our problem” with fentanyl.
Commentary: Fentanyl is a community threat. It’s time for the community to respond.
Fentanyl has played a role in more than 75% of all drug overdose deaths in Virginia. In the last three years alone, some 6,000 people in our commonwealth have been killed by fentanyl. More than 300 of them lived in the Roanoke area. An estimated five Virginians will die from a fentanyl overdose every day this year: mothers, fathers, children, friends and coworkers. Each and every one of these losses is a tragedy. There’s no such thing as “not our problem” with fentanyl.
Commentary: Fighting back against fentanyl in the Roanoke Valley and beyond
On average, five Virginians die of fentanyl overdose per day. Those five lost are our sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, classmates, coworkers, neighbors and friends. Each day, this problem only worsens. Overdose has been the leading cause of non-natural death among Virginians since 2013, accounting for more fatalities than motor vehicle and gun-related deaths combined.
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