The House Committee for Substance Abuse met to formally begin their work for the 84th legislative session.
In Friday’s meeting, legislators heard progress of their programs and statistics on how the opioid epidemic is affecting West Virginia.
Bob Hansen, director of the Office of Drug Control Policy, touched on many subjects during the presentation, but also highlighted the drug overdose deaths.
“The opioid crisis in West Virginia is a health crisis, a social services crisis, and an economic crisis,” Hansen said.
West Virginia is losing $8.8 billion a year as a result of this crisis, according to statistics from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources.
Research also shows that those at highest risk for drug abuse are men between the ages of 35 and 54, have a high school diploma or less education, unmarried, and working blue-collar jobs.
West Virginia also is one of a few states that has substance use waivers, as well as the first state to have a neonatal syndrome waiver.
Prevention is an important emphasis in this plan and a $2,260,000 SAMHSA grant awarded to the DHHR will help with their prevention cause.
