WILLIAMSON, W.Va. — A national drug official got to see first hand how the opioid epidemic is affecting southern West Virginia on Tuesday.
U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) hosted U.S. Drug Czar Jim Carroll, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, in Logan and Mingo counties.
The two began their day at the Williamson Health and Wellness Center where they met with Dr. Dino Beckett to learn more about his efforts in combatting the drug epidemic. Beckett owns a bakery that employs individuals in recovery.
Capito and Carroll then attended a Drug Court graduation ceremony in Mingo County where they met with graduates, program mentors, and individuals in the early and middle stages of the Drug Court program.
Capito told MetroNews that the graduation was inspirational to see how far people have come and to see all the resources come together. She spoke about one certain individual’s story.
“All of the resources that are around her from the day report center, the social worker, sheriff’s deputies, probation officers, and the judge, to keep having faith in her,” Capito said.
“The journeys that they describe, there is not a dry eye in the house when you hear how people have gotten to the desperate situation that they find themselves in.”
The final stop consisted of a visit to the Southwestern Regional Day Report Center in Logan, which offers a full range of services to assist adults struggling with substance abuse, including services to help motivate individuals to re-enter society and succeed.
Capito and Carroll were both in awe of how the resources were coming together and moving West Virginia along.
“What stuck out so much is the compassion of the community,” Carroll said. “They are rallying behind all these people from law enforcement to judges to people who are in recovery. We are so grateful to be in recovery. We are so grateful to be with the senator and see everything.”
I’m in Mingo County today with @ONDCP Director Jim Carroll. It’s been an incredible day seeing how the Mingo County Drug Court is changing lives in southern West Virginia. pic.twitter.com/Uqe07BA0j5
— Shelley Moore Capito (@SenCapito) February 18, 2020