MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — West Virginia received welcome news earlier this month with provisional data from the Centers for Disease Control showing that overdose deaths in the state declined by 43.5 percent in the last year but that’s doesn’t mean overdoses have stopped being a concern.
Berkeley County Recovery Resources Coordinator Stephanie Stout said overdose deaths have increased recently in the Eastern Panhandle.
“In the last month we’ve seen an increase in the deaths that we’re receiving from city and county EMS,” Stout said on WEPM Radio’s “Panhandle Live” show.
She said drug trends are changing.
“There are new substances, more synthetic opioids, even like tranquilizers that are coming into the drug supply,” Stout said. “This has been verified through our harm reduction participants.”
Stout said one of the most popular new option is is the group of synthetic opioids called nitazenes.
“They can be taken on their own but most of the time they are found in heroin and other illicit drugs like oxycodone, benzos,” Stout said. “If a substance has a nitazene in it there’s a greater risk for overdose death and harm. It can also cause a tremendous amount of damage to the veins.”
Stout said another disturbing trend is the overdose victims have been trending younger.
“We’ve seen a lot of students under the age of 18 that have been on overdose calls, not because they were actively, regularly using substances but because somebody gave them a pill and they thought it was a percocet and it turned out to be a press pill,” Stout said.
She stressed the importance of the county’s drug education program in schools.
“Our juvenile program that’s in the middle and high schools is key. They are telling students that this is a risk,” Stout said.
Berkeley County Recovery Resources offers a number of services including a family support group.
“This is a judgement-free zone,” Stout said. “When you walk into the Resource, whatever your situation is, we’re not judging, we’re welcoming you, we’re trying to help you.”
WEPM Radio’s Marsha Kavalek contributed to this story.