Justice praises decline in preliminary overdose deaths | News, Sports, Jobs

CHARLESTON – Although the data is preliminary, West Virginia appears to be following a national trend of declining drug overdose deaths since their peak during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Jim Justice and the Department of Human Services on Thursday released new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing a 10% decrease in the projected number of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. by the end of the 12 months, from 112,470 provisional overdose deaths in April 2023 to 101,168 provisional deaths in April 2024.

In West Virginia, the preliminary 12-month overdose death rate decreased by more than 11% over the same period, from 1,462 projected overdose deaths in April 2023 to 1,293 overdose deaths in April 2024. West Virginia's preliminary overdose rate decreased 19% from a high of 1,597 deaths in April 2021.

“This is great. We should definitely celebrate this,” Justice said this Thursday during his weekly government briefing at the State Capitol Building. “We have seen a decline and that is good, but it will not be good enough until it is zero. That is how we should look at it. Let's celebrate that a little, but at the same time there are still many problems where we have to try to keep getting better.”

Comparing the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024, West Virginia's preliminary overdose death rate decreased by 28%.

“We are cautiously optimistic as the data indicates real progress in our efforts to combat the opioid crisis in West Virginia,” said Christina Mullins, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders at the Department of Health. “Although many of our data are preliminary, the numbers provide hope that our comprehensive strategies, including expanded access to treatment and prevention programs, are having an impact.”

According to DoHS, more than 97,000 naloxone kits have been distributed in 2023. These kits can administer medication and stop and reverse an opioid overdose. The state Office of Drug Control Policy and the Governor's Council on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment continue to work on plans to expand access to treatment and recovery for substance use disorders.

“The focus of this reduction is on saving lives and saving families,” said Dr. Stephen Loyd, newly appointed director of the Office of Drug Control Policy. “It is a testament to the tireless work of West Virginia's health care providers, emergency services and community-based organizations working on the front lines of this crisis. We know there is still work to be done, but these initial numbers are encouraging. Our focus now is to ensure this momentum continues in 2024 and beyond.”

The new data comes a month after lawmakers were briefed on drug use statistics and policies in West Virginia by Jeremiah Samples, a former senior adviser to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance.

Citing previous CDC statistics, there were 1,335 known overdose deaths in West Virginia in 2022. For comparison, overdose deaths increased by more than 55% between 2017 and 2022, 135% between 2010 and 2022, and 1,690% between 1999 and 2022.

Samples said total state spending on substance use disorders is difficult to track and can only be estimated. Direct spending runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually, not including indirect spending for the criminal justice system and the Department of Human Services.

In his speech Thursday, Justice blamed the flow of fentanyl into the state and country for drug overdose deaths. Justice has focused his Republican campaign for the U.S. Senate on securing the southern border with Mexico, where some of the illegal fentanyl comes. According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl comes from sources in China and India before crossing the borders with Mexico and Canada.

If we do not stop what is happening at our southern border, bad things will continue to happen.” said Justice. “Sure, we've seen a decline and that's really good and we should celebrate that. But at the same time, we're still losing people, right?

“If it was a family member and someone you loved very much, it wouldn’t matter if we had a regression,” The justice system continued. “We don't want anyone to be lost to an overdose, especially with the situation at our southern border with fentanyl and all the other problems that come with it.”