Smyth County sets Sept. 21 as annual Opioid and Substance Abuse Awareness Day after Virginia Tech study

The Smyth County Board of Supervisors on Feb. 26 unanimously approved a resolution declaring Sept. 21 as an annual Opioid and Substance Abuse Awareness Day after hearing results of a community‑led study presented by Virginia Tech.

Shannon Simpson, central region coordinator for Virginia Tech’s CoAP project, told the board the Tri‑County study (conducted 2023–2025) engaged 112 Smyth County participants — including probation officers, jail staff, parents and people with lived experience — to develop locally grounded strategies. "We started this study in 2023 and finished it in 2025," Simpson said, describing the seed‑method process that led to community recommendations.

The study’s prioritized recommendations included expanding education and awareness for teens and parents, offering free community classes on addiction, creating formal and nonformal treatment and recovery programs (including services tailored for parents with children), implementing policy changes to broaden case management, and reducing court‑mandated punishment when treatment is a more appropriate response. Simpson emphasized transportation and childcare as practical barriers: participants recommended more frequent and extended public transportation and on‑site childcare at larger treatment centers so parents can enter recovery without fear of losing custody.

The resolution read into the record commits the county to observe an annual awareness day, coordinate with local providers such as the Appalachian Center for Hope and other community partners, and promote outreach and educational activities. The board adopted the resolution by a unanimous voice vote.

County staff and supervisors said some recommended practices are already in place locally — school‑based opioid awareness programs, Narcan training and the county’s recovery court — and welcomed the study’s confirmation of those efforts. Simpson left pamphlets for county distribution and urged formation of community action teams to translate the study’s recommendations into local initiatives.

The board’s action signals formal support for a community awareness effort; staff were asked to circulate the study materials and to coordinate with local treatment providers and education partners on next steps. The resolution directs the county to encourage participation from residents, businesses and organizations in awareness programming.

The resolution was adopted as board members recessed for a brief closed session later in the meeting. No further procedural deadlines were attached to the resolution in the meeting record.