What's New in Our Tool
Virginia Opioid Cost Data Tool Updates
We've updated our website with new data, enhanced methods, and expanded insights to provide a more accurate and comprehensive picture of the impact of opioid use in Virginia. These updates include refinements to our cost estimation methods, the addition of two new social determinants of health, and updated data visualizations that highlight both encouraging progress and the work that remains.
Updated Methods
Every person has inherent dignity, worth, and potential, regardless of health status or ability. At the same time, opioid use in a community can profoundly affect people's ability to earn a living, and accurately measuring lost wages helps communities better understand their economic health. To support this, our 2024 analysis refines previous labor cost calculations by incorporating real-world employment rates. To ensure accurate comparisons over time, we have also updated our 2023 dataset using these same revised methods.
Updated Methods
Every person has inherent dignity, worth, and potential, regardless of health status or ability. At the same time, opioid use in a community can profoundly affect people's ability to earn a living, and accurately measuring lost wages helps communities better understand their economic health. To support this, our 2024 analysis refines previous labor cost calculations by incorporating real-world employment rates. To ensure accurate comparisons over time, we have also updated our 2023 dataset using these same revised methods.
Special Brief on Maternal Substance Use Care in Virginia
Read our special brief, “Healthier Moms, Healthier Babies,” to see how better systems of care can improve substance-related outcomes for parents, babies, and communities across Virginia. The recommendations reflect scientific research and evidence-based practice with the aim of supporting the General Assembly-appointed SB133/HB652 Work Group on prenatal and postnatal substance use, jointly led by The Department of Social Services, Department of Health, and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
Special Brief on Maternal Substance Use Care in Virginia
Read our special brief, “Healthier Moms, Healthier Babies,” to see how better systems of care can improve substance-related outcomes for parents, babies, and communities across Virginia. The recommendations reflect scientific research and evidence-based practice with the aim of supporting the General Assembly-appointed SB133/HB652 Work Group on prenatal and postnatal substance use, jointly led by The Department of Social Services, Department of Health, and Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services.
New Key Insights
Our Key Insights page distills essential takeaways based on our latest economic impact data. It also includes a new visualization highlighting how evidence-based opioid care is saving more lives, but at the same time community-level disparities persist across race and ethnicity, health insurance status, and income levels. We need to scale successful strategies while ensuring they reach communities facing disproportionate impacts.
New Key Insights
Our Key Insights page distills essential takeaways based on our latest economic impact data. It also includes a new visualization highlighting how evidence-based opioid care is saving more lives, but at the same time community-level disparities persist across race and ethnicity, health insurance status, and income levels. We need to scale successful strategies while ensuring they reach communities facing disproportionate impacts.
New Social Determinants of Health
To provide additional context on the factors influencing opioid-related outcomes, we've added two new social determinants of health to the website: the percentage of Virginians who spend a majority of their paycheck on rent and the percentage of Virginians who lack any form of health insurance. These measures help illustrate how housing affordability and access to healthcare may shape community vulnerability and opportunities for prevention and recovery.
New Social Determinants of Health
To provide additional context on the factors influencing opioid-related outcomes, we've added two new social determinants of health to the website: the percentage of Virginians who spend a majority of their paycheck on rent and the percentage of Virginians who lack any form of health insurance. These measures help illustrate how housing affordability and access to healthcare may shape community vulnerability and opportunities for prevention and recovery.
Looking for help with our updated website?
We’d love to hear from you. Want to share insights? See something missing? Want something that isn’t included? We welcome all feedback. Please reach out to us at societyhealth@vcu.edu with any questions or comments. This tool is meant to be for all audiences.
Need help finding care?
If you think someone is overdosing: Call 911 immediately. Learn about the signs of overdose. Virginia law provides anyone who calls 911 or otherwise alerts the authorities in the case of an overdose a "safe harbor" affirmative defense.
If someone you know needs help staying safe in active use and connecting to care: Find harm reduction services near you on VDH’s comprehensive harm reduction (CHR) center map.
If you need help with emotional distress, loss, or grief: Text, call, or chat 988 from anywhere in Virginia to receive immediate, 24/7, judgment-free support. Access for Deaf/HoH and Spanish speakers.
If you are looking for evidence-based opioid care options for yourself or someone you care about: Explore your local options through Virginia’s publicly-funded, localized Community Services Boards.