MORGANTOWN, W.Va — University High School was the site Monday of a regional discussion on heroin and prescription painkiller addiction, overdoses and distribution.
The significance of the location for U.S. Attorney Bill Ihlenfeld is that a multifaceted approach to end what he calls a “public health crisis in West Virginia” takes education leaders, law enforcement and medical professionals.
“The biggest challenge is ‘what is the right message?’ That’s why we’re going to engage more with young people and have focus groups with middle school and high school students to find out what kind of message would have an impact on them,” explained Ihlenfeld.
Ihlenfeld will serve as the co-chair of at least 9 subcommittees of the Addiction Action Plan charged with decreasing heroin use, promoting increased access to quality abuse treatment, and choking off the supply of heroin to the North Central WV region.
Dr. Frank Devono, Monongalia County Superintendent of Schools, will be a subcommittee chair.
“Prevention is the key. If we can make sure students understand in these kinds of things, then hopefully they’ll make some better choices for themselves,” said Devono.
Both police chiefs in Morgantown and Fairmont will lead committees from a law enforcement perspective. Ihlenfeld said they have one of many roles in the Addiction Action Plan.
“We want to enhance the investigations of deliveries causing death. We’re seeing more and more deliveries of heroin and other drugs that are leading to the deaths of others,” said Ihlenfeld.
Medical professionals from WVU Health Sciences Center, WVU School of Medicine and Fairmont General Hospital are also a part of the plan.
“We want to create a simple road map for treatment. We want to make it easy for someone who has a problem or has a friend or family members who has a problem with addiction to know where to go,” said Ihlenfeld.
According to Ihlenfeld, the number of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia increased by more than 130 percent in the last year.
He said West Virginia ranks third in the nation for the number of prescriptions written for highly addictive painkillers leading to addiction problems.
In the spring, Ihlenfeld said there will be more details released regarding the North Central West Virginia Addiction Action Plan.