Opinion | One more way to help stem fentanyl deaths

The May 13 Metro article “Ousted Va. official will lead opioid response” reported that Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) is taking steps to combat the fentanyl crisis, including studying how to keep offenders drug-free after release from prison.

One glaring omission is reforming Virginia’s “barrier law” for substance-abuse counselors and peer-recovery specialists. This law makes it illegal for people to work to reduce addiction because of criminal convictions that can have nothing to do with counseling. In fact, the state’s own findings show that the law bars “qualified applicants who can provide valuable services,” likely hundreds each year. That includes people such as my Institute for Justice client Rudy Carey, who is challenging the law in federal court. He has won a “counselor of the year” award, yet, because of a 19-year-old conviction, Virginia still bans him from counseling for the rest of his life. That makes no sense.