Flags at half-staff in Virginia in honor of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day

RICHMOND, Va. (DC News Now) — Gov. Glenn Youngkin ordered all flags in the Commonwealth of Virginia to be flown at half-staff on Thursday.

The order was issued on Wednesday, Aug. 20, in honor of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. Flags were ordered to be lowered beginning at sunrise on Thursday and will remain that way until sunset.

See full order below:

In accordance with the authority vested in me as Governor, I hereby order that the flags of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Virginia be flown at half-staff on all state and local buildings and grounds in the Commonwealth of Virginia in honor of National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day. This day serves as a solemn reminder of the lives lost to fentanyl poisoning, the families forever affected, and the profound impact this crisis has on our communities. It is also a time to honor those working tirelessly to advance awareness, education, and prevention efforts in Virginia and across the nation.  

I hereby order that the flags shall be lowered at sunrise on Thursday, August 21, 2025, and remain at half-staff until sunset.

Ordered on this, the 20th day of August, 2025.

Sincerely,

Glenn Youngkin

Drug overdose deaths saw a decrease in the U.S. in 2024 from the previous year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In 2023, an estimated 76,282 people died from fentanyl overdoses. The number dropped to 48,422 in 2024, according to the CDC.

Still, thousands of lives are lost each year.

National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day highlights the ongoing opioid crisis and falls on Aug. 21.