CLARKSBURG, W.Va. — The trend of declining overdose deaths in the state continues and is now setting a record nationally. Over the last two months, the state has recorded the largest drop in opioid overdose deaths, with a 41 percent decrease.
According to the West Virginia First Foundation and the federal government, opioid-related deaths are down by nearly 69 percent, fentanyl deaths are down by more than 71 percent, meth-related deaths are down 64 percent, and cocaine-related deaths are at their lowest in nearly a decade.
State Senator Ben Queen, R-Harrison, said the good work that’s been done by many agencies to drop these numbers across the state did not come in time for his family.
“My family is one of those statistics; we did lose somebody just recently.” Queen said recently on WAJR’s “Talk of the Town.” “It’s a hard battle for families, but we can get there; we can battle back, and we can get there. We have to keep going.”
He went on to say the drop is a result of multiple agencies focusing on their priorities using a wide range of resources, some provided by the state legislature.
“It’s our law enforcement community, it’s our health communities, and it’s our recovery and addiction specialists who are attracting more people into their programs, and we’re saving more lives.”
Queen referred to some of the efforts as “giving people a reason to live” while making it clear more opportunities are needed in the northern part of the state. He plans to continue his work to support economic development and bring more good-paying jobs to the state.
“Continuing to support these programs to help folks out of addiction, but I will continue to be critical that we need to keep the pedal to the metal in economic development,” Queen said.
Queen said the addition of the chairman of the West Virginia First Foundation and Jefferson County Prosecutor Matt Harvey as the new U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of West Virginia will be welcomed news for law enforcement agencies. State and local agencies have done a great job of making life hard for the major dealers of the poison on our streets.
“I like to brag on our law enforcement,” Queen said. “Law enforcement is trying to get people help, continues to attack the dealers, and makes sure the users are at a place where they can get help.”
Queen stressed that this is merely a snapshot of time in a state that has led the nation in use and overdose deaths for many years. Celebrating the accomplishment is important, but Queen said keeping the pressure upon all fronts is the only way to ensure this progress will continue.
“But, we have to make sure we don’t celebrate this too long,” Queen said. “We have to keep our eye on the prize, and the prize for Ben Queen and north central West Virginia is to continue to bring good-paying jobs to our region.”