CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia Department of Human Services has announced there has been an over 30% decline in drug overdose deaths across the Mountain State this year.
The DoHS alongside the Bureau for Behavioral Health and the Office of Drug Control Policy announced not only the continued progress in reducing overdose deaths across the state, but the launch of the agency’s 2025-2030 One State One Vision West Virginia Substance Use Primary Prevention Strategic Plan at sustaining these efforts.
DoHS Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Deputy Secretary Christina Mullins said the decrease in overdose deaths in this past year is a huge accomplishment considering the place the state was in prior.
“I am not only cautiously optimistic that this is going to continue but I am so proud of the hard work of our state agencies including the Bureau for Behavioral Health, the Office of Drug Control Policy, and all of our grant-funded partners who have been working together to make this happen,” Mullins told MetroNews.
Data shows a 36% decrease in overdose deaths from January to June 2024 over the same period in 2023.
Mullins said even with the cases still pending, this decline status is not expected to fall below 29%.
Additionally, Mullins said year-over-year figures from the 12 months ending in July of this year shows a 22.6% decline with a reduction rate exceeding that of the 16.9% national average decline.
She said this decline rate translates to approximately 256 lives saved from the opioid crisis and that’s a drastic decrease, taking into account that it was over a timeframe of just six months.
“For me, what that means is that’s a lot of loved ones who are still alive and that we have the opportunity to move towards treatment for, and a future, a productive future,” she said.
Mullins said their new One State One Vision Strategic Plan will help build on current achievements through the introduction of novel data-driven strategies to combat substance use disorder.
She said it will also further guide their vision for continued prevention efforts.
“We brought together a large team of professionals and experts to say, what do we need to do next, how do we keep these efforts going, and how do we protect our children moving into the future, so that plan is designed to help us do that and stay focused on the future,” Mullins said.
According to the DoHS, key elements of the plan include the following:
. Strengthening capacity to implement and sustain evidence-based prevention programs.
. Establishing a comprehensive data and evaluation system.
. Fostering strategic collaboration and communication.
. Increasing and aligning investments in prevention infrastructure.
. Developing unified messaging for substance use awareness and education.
Mullins said these latest overdose death statistics are very promising and are a reflection of the strong, collaborative effort underway across the state in alleviating the drug crisis.
“It is the result of so many people across the state working so hard together in partnership, and I just want to remind everyone that recovery is possible.”
Mullins encourages anyone who may need addiction help to each out to their 24/7 recovery hotline at 844Help4WV. You can also learn more about the strategic plan here.