CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The Appalachian Regional Commission and the National Association of Counties held panel discussions on Tuesday regarding the effects of the opioid crisis in Appalachia and the solutions for related issues.
The organizations’ event in Washington, D.C., focused on the role of counties across 13 states in addressing the misuse of drugs; according to a report from the groups, the death rate for opioid overdoses in Appalachia was 72% higher than non-Appalachian counties on 2017. The report also notes opioid prescription rates are higher in the region.
U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., spoke at the event’s conclusion; she said the most effective ideas are not generated by federal lawmakers but rather local leaders.
“My experience in West Virginia and our collective experience has been that the best solutions for this problem are from the ground up,” she said.
The report notes efforts in Mercer County and southern counties; Mercer County leaders have created nonprofits and developed toolkits for responding to drug use and diverting people from jail sentences. The Coalfields Development Corporation — consisting of Lincoln, McDowell, Mingo, and Wayne counties — has offered job training opportunities and established a network for investing in local businesses.
Capito also noted the SUPPORT Act, a 2018 law that provides new resources for addressing drug misuse and associated trauma, including crisis response teams.
“I contend, as a West Virginian who has statistics that are probably the most glaring, that the solutions that are coming from our state — from Mercer County or from Cabell County or from any county in our that has been deeply affected — are now the solutions that have found their way into the SUPPORT Act,” she said.
Mercer County Commissioner Greg Puckett also took part in the event.