State officials today described a promising reduction in overdose fatalities across West Virginia, aligning with national trends.
Recent data comparing the first quarter of 2023 to the same period in 2024 reveals a provisional 28% decrease in overdose deaths, noted officials with the West Virginia Department of Human Services Office of Drug Control Policy.
The reduction mirrors national data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing an 10% drop in overdose fatalities across the country — with a corresponding 11% drop in West Virginia — from April 2023 to April 2024.
The CDC data shows 1,372 reported fatal overdoses in West Virginia through April 2023.
The number in reported overdoses in West Virginia through April of this year was 1,223.
The CDC cautions that drug overdose deaths are often initially reported with no cause of death because they require lengthy investigation, including toxicology testing. Reported provisional counts may not include all deaths that occurred during a given time period so they should not be considered comparable with final data and are subject to change.
The CDC also provides predicted provisional counts, which represent estimates of the number of deaths adjusted for incomplete reporting.
West Virginia’s number of predicted overdose death cases through April 2023 was 1,462.
The number of West Virginia predicted overdose death cases through April 2024 was 1,293.
“We are cautiously optimistic as the data points to real progress in our efforts to combat the opioid crisis in West Virginia,” said Christina Mullins, the deputy secretary of mental health and substance use disorders with the state Department of Human Services.
“While much of our data is provisional, the numbers offer hope that our comprehensive strategies, including expanded access to treatment and prevention programs, are making an impact.”
National interpretations of possible reasons for the fatal overdose declines include the prevalence of naloxone to respond to overdose conditions and the subsiding of pandemic-era conditions like isolation and increased stress.
Colin Miller, community liaison and social clinical research specialist with Street Drug Analysis Lab @ UNC, said the trend across the nation is encouraging.
“We don’t really have a clear picture of exactly why this is happening yet, but there’s lot of different theories bouncing around,” Miller said today on MetroNews “Talkline.”
He, too, cited the increased distribution of naloxone, among a range of factors. He also described law enforcement operations on the border cutting down on the flow of illicit drugs.
“We believe it could absolutely be a combination of things and more than likely with a drop this large is a combination of things,” Miller said.
In West Virginia, the Office of Drug Control Policy, along with the Governor’s Council on Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment, continues work toward combatting substance abuse disorders through increased naloxone distribution, expanded treatment programs and strong collaboration with local, state, and federal partners.
The Department of Human Services distributed a record 97,780 naloxone kits in 2023, according to the agency, and it’s on track to surpass that amount by the end of this year.
Since 2020, West Virginia characterizes its efforts as surpassing national averages when it comes to initiating and engaging people with opioid abuse and dependence with treatment. Data shows people engaged in outpatient or residential treatment are less likely to experience a fatal overdose.
“Lives saved and families kept whole are at the heart of this reduction,” said Dr. Stephen Loyd, director fo the state Office of Drug Control Policy. “It’s a testament to the tireless work of West Virginia’s health care providers, EMS teams, and community-based organizations working on the front lines of this crisis. We know there is still much work to be done, but these early numbers are encouraging. Our focus now is on ensuring that this momentum continues throughout 2024 and beyond.”
The encouraging results come during National Recovery Month, a time to celebrate the gains made by those in recovery and to raise awareness of substance use treatment and mental health services, such as the 1-844-HELP4WV helpline, available across the state.
Gov. Jim Justice described statewide progress with the effects of drug addiction during an administration briefing today.
“That’s really good, and we should celebrate that,” Justice said. “But at the same time we’re still losing people, aren’t we. And if it happened to be a family member, someone who was dearly loved, it wouldn’t matter that we’re having a decrease. Absolutely, we want no one, no one, to be lost by an overdose.”
He said the decrease, while worth viewing with a sense of optimism, “won’t be enough until it’s zero.”