Father whose son died from fentanyl warns overdoses ‘can happen to anyone’ as states fight deadly crisis

As officials look to combat the flow of fentanyl coming through the United States’ southern border, parents who have experienced the drug’s deadly consequences are warning others of the risks after losing their own children to opioid overdoses. 

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin and first lady Suzanne Youngkin have launched a litany of campaigns looking to curb the flow of fentanyl into the state, and data shows their efforts are working. Virginia is leading the nation in year-over-year percentage declines in drug overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Governor Youngkin and his administration’s approach to stopping the scourge of fentanyl stands on four principles: interrupt the drug trade, enhance penalties for drug dealers, educate people about the dangers of fentanyl, and equip them to save the life of someone in crisis,” Peter Finocchio, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Everyone must know the danger posed by fentanyl: it only takes one pill to kill.”

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The administration’s “It Only Takes One” campaign is aiming to educate parents on the dangers surrounding fentanyl by teaching them how to spot the signs of a drug overdose and administer naloxone (Narcan). 

“We passed new laws banning pill presses, notifying parents of overdose in their child’s school and finally establishing a new felony to hold accountable drug dealers whose victims die from an overdose,” Youngkin said in a press release. “The First Lady launched ‘It Only Takes One,’ a comprehensive education and engagement initiative to give parents, family members, educators, and caretakers the knowledge they need to warn their loved ones about the dangers of fentanyl.” 

The initiative comes as drug overdose deaths throughout the country are at their lowest point since June 2020, with preliminary data showing a 24% drop for the 12 months ending in September 2024, according to the CDC. 

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But for some parents, the decline in deaths means very little after losing their own children to drug overdoses. 

Steve Muth’s only child, Zachary, died at 23 years old after taking a pill laced with fentanyl in February 2021. Zachary was a college student and a member of a fraternity when he took a Xanax pill from a friend that was unknowingly laced with fentanyl.

“It can happen to anyone, because my son looked me in the eye and said it would never happen to him,” Muth told Fox News Digital. “He said that all his friends have Narcan, and so I think, first and foremost, if there’s any notification that [kids are] dabbling in anything foreign on campus, get control of it immediately. Just make sure they stay away from anything and everything, and if you have to get them out of that school or that fraternity, because it’s a real problem.” 

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After the death of his son, Muth co-founded ZEM Life alongside Dr. Joanna Sawyer, a board-certified anesthesiologist. The tech startup is working to formulate a smartwatch that can pinpoint the signs of a drug overdose and automatically provide a potentially life-saving dose of Narcan to the wearer.

Sawyer insists one of the key dangers surrounding fentanyl is how quickly it can enter a person’s system, with the drug’s deadly effects taking over almost immediately. 

“It’s an extremely potent synthetic drug where just thousands of grams can cause someone to stop breathing,” Sawyer told Fox News Digital. “We’re finding in our communities [that] these pills contain massive doses of the drug; there’s enough coming into our country to kill millions. The danger is that there’s no way to control what’s in something that someone is getting on the street, and it’s likely extremely dangerous.” 

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In addition to the Virginia first lady’s efforts to protect families from loss due to overdose, Gov. Youngkin has aimed to crack down on illicit drugs ending up in the hands of Virginians. 

Youngkin’s Operation FREE is working alongside federal, state and local law enforcement to combat the flow of illicit drugs into the state. 

“Overdose deaths skyrocketed across America and in Virginia driven primarily by illicit fentanyl flowing across our southern border,” Youngkin said in a press release. “With an average of five [Virginians dying] each day, in 2022 we launched a comprehensive effort to stop the scourge of fentanyl, it’s working, and Virginia is leading.” 

The partnership has seized approximately 55,350 pounds of illicit narcotics – including 800 pounds of fentanyl – and made more than 2,500 arrests throughout Virginia since it was announced in May 2023. State lawmakers have also passed laws banning pill presses, requiring school employees to report signs of overdoses to parents within 24 hours, and introducing a new felony charge for drug dealers suspected of providing narcotics leading to an individual’s death. 

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Virginia has also declared the opioid a “weapon of terrorism,” opening up the legal ability to slap terrorism charges on drug-related offenses. 

“There is much more work to be done, but all Virginians are grateful for the leadership of the First Lady and our Fentanyl Family Ambassadors, all of our state agencies, and our amazing federal partners including President [Donald] Trump, Attorney General [Pam] Bondi, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and the men and women of the Drug Enforcement Administration,” Youngkin wrote.  

As state and federal officials aim to crack down on the drug’s infiltration of communities throughout the country, Muth said the dangers can seep into any family after his son fell victim to a fentanyl overdose. 

“There are so many deaths that take place from fentanyl,” Muth said. “My son was not a drug addict. He functioned, he worked, he went to school. Did he have weaknesses at parties? Absolutely, just like all of us do. It’s the everyday person, and that’s the biggest misconception. These are more than drug addicts; they’re human beings that are part of the community, going to school, [my son] was a hockey player. It’s just incredible the different types of people that are passing away from this problem.”