About Us
It Only Takes One is the Commonwealth's fentanyl awareness initiative, educating and reaching hundreds of thousands of Virginians since its launch in 2024.
THE FIRST OF ITS KIND
The campaign strives to warn parents and caregivers that “it only takes one.”
In partnership with the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth and Attorney General Jason Miyares’ One Pill Can Kill campaign, First Lady of Virginia Suzanne S. Youngkin launched It Only Takes One, a statewide initiative to drive awareness and begin conversations around the risks of fentanyl among Virginia’s youth.
Christine Wright recounts her personal experience with fentanyl-laced drugs.
Recovering addict now Behavioral Health Program Manager Christine Wright recounts her personal story of addiction, overdose and recovery. Hers is a story of caution due to the lethal potency of fentanyl, but also one of hope.
Denise Thomas-Brown hopes to spare families from fentanyl-related loss.
An increasing number of individuals are being impacted by fentanyl. This is a trend we must reverse. Denise Thomas-Brown's nephew, Adam, struggled with mental illness and ultimately lost his life to a fentanyl overdose. There was hope for Adam, and there is hope for you. No parent should have to mourn the loss of a child, like Brown's family has.
Rev. Brenda Rowe shares her personal loss due to fentanyl poisoning.
Rev. Brenda Rowe lost her grandson to accidental fentanyl poisoning in 2023. It can happen in a moment. It can happen to anyone. Her message is one of awareness, communication, and honestly. Have a conversation with a young person in your life.
The pilot program focused on spreading awareness about the drug’s deadly effects and painful impact on families throughout the City of Roanoke.
After its six-month pilot, the campaign’s ad content reached over 240,000 City of Roanoke adults with a teen or child in their lives. Familiarity with fentanyl increased by 12% among parents who saw ad content, and they reported being 55% more likely to initiate a conversation with their children about the deadly opioid. Over 500 adults signed the It Only Takes One pledge to talk to a teen about fentanyl before summer.
Teens who saw ad content themselves were 32% more familiar with fentanyl, 46% more aware that a single pill could cause death, and 24% more likely to know that fentanyl is found in illegal drugs. Perhaps most importantly, they reported a 136% increase in conversations with adults about the risks.
Sample Campaign Content
It Only Takes One content educates Virginians on the risks of fentanyl and provides tools and resources to take action. Follow It Only Takes One on social media to learn more and help spread awareness.
