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Overdose calls increase 24% and higher in some counties during COVID
justice.gov ^ | August 28, 2020 | U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of West Virginia

Posted on 08/29/2020 2:31:04 PM PDT by ransomnote

MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – As the Northern District of West Virginia continues to see the effects of the opioid epidemic, U.S. Attorney Bill Powell is concerned about the increase in overdose calls during the peak months of COVID.

From March through June 2020, the state of West Virginia, as did many other states across the country, closed many public places and asked that residents shelter in place. During this same time frame, the number of EMS calls due to suspected overdoses was 24% higher than the same time frame in 2019 for the five counties with the highest overall calls in the Northern District of West Virginia: Berkeley, Harrison, Monongalia, Jefferson, and Marion. 

“In speaking with those on the front lines battling the drug epidemic, this isn’t a coincidence. The isolation, job loss, and disruption in some treatment services most likely led to this increase. This is a concerted group effort. I know we can’t prosecute our way out of the issue. And while we need to be ever vigilant in getting the drugs off the streets, we will also continue our community outreach work,” said Powell. “My office has worked diligently through this pandemic to stop the dealers in their tracks, and we are also working with Quick Response Teams, educators, and the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy to assist those offering prevention and treatment solutions.”

The U.S. Attorney’s Office offers prevention education, support with Quick Response Teams, community informational meetings, and other forms of outreach. For more information on outreach efforts, go to https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/programs/community-outreach.

The data is collected by the West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy from Emergency Medical Service providers across each county. To view the data, go to https://dhhr.wv.gov/office-of-drug-control-policy/datadashboard/Pages/default.aspx.
 

Topic(s): 
Opioids
Component(s): 


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS:

1 posted on 08/29/2020 2:31:04 PM PDT by ransomnote
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To: ransomnote
Trump called it.

Second order events.

If Fauci was half as smart as the thinks he is he would have articulated this as a potential risk.

2 posted on 08/29/2020 2:34:35 PM PDT by gov_bean_ counter (In this circus called the Democrat Party, Biden is the monkey and Harris is the organ grinder...)
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To: Hiskid; SisterK
🕊🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

Holy Spirit please come down.

3 posted on 08/29/2020 2:37:54 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: gov_bean_ counter

seeing everything you worked for destroyed because of idiocy must drive 1 to the brink of madness. No establishment can last being closed 6 or 7 or more months.

At least most can’t.

The stress of bills. The stress of being Stockholm for many months.

It’s hard for adults.

Kids have a whole different set of problems. School and going out after words with Friends was the escape from any of them from an abusive father or mother or stepfather or boyfriend.

Or simply an escape from constant arguing or spousal abuse.

The left is cruel beyond words. They would sacrifice many young people’s lives to win in November.

They would like to take a hundred million American lives I’m sure.


4 posted on 08/29/2020 2:43:57 PM PDT by dp0622 (I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE COVID GODFATHER I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. YOU CAN ACT LIKE A MAN!)
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To: gov_bean_ counter

West Virginia had 849 opioid deaths in 2019. While the 24% increase in overdoses reported in this article, are only for roughly have the state and overdoses are not the same thing as deaths, if this corresponds to a 24% statewide increase in deaths that would be 204 excess deaths from opioid overdoses alone.

That’s not counting any increase from suicides, delayed medical procedures, domestic violence or poverty related effects.

West Virginia has had 212 Covid-19 deaths.

The deaths caused by the lockdown may dwarf any lives saved.


5 posted on 08/29/2020 2:45:38 PM PDT by CaptainMorgantown
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To: ransomnote

Nothing in society is responsible for this.

Responsibility lies solely at the feet of those who took the dope.

There is nobody and nothing else that contributed.


6 posted on 08/29/2020 2:49:27 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: ransomnote

There is also a prediction of 235,000 extra suicides this year on top of normal.

But hey. It is about saving lives. /spit


7 posted on 08/29/2020 2:52:24 PM PDT by Noamie
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To: ransomnote

My brother lives in the the leftist cesspool of the east coast, New York city, we both grew up there. He lives in Manhattan now and told me his building is wasted half the time, drunks yelling, people passed out in the hallway. This on top of people moving out. He showed me photos of his street littered with furniture and mattresses all down the sidewalk left behind from people moving. I told him it must please Comrade DeBlasio being that the city is now like the Soviet Union.


8 posted on 08/29/2020 3:03:31 PM PDT by GrandJediMasterYoda (As long as Hillary Clinton remains free equal justice under the law will never exist in the USA)
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To: Mariner

This type of drug addiction is a disease beyond the individual’s willpower and choice. Unfortunately I personally know two people, age 28 and age 33, and their parents, who overdosed (death) in the last 3 months. They battled the disease for several years. I believe the isolation and lack of employment pushed them to escape through drugs...again.

Trump campaigned in 2016 about the opioid crisis in this country...the demonkraps were silent. China is involved, the illegal crossings from Mexico is heavily involved. The interconnection is too great to blame these sick people. Talk to recovered people in your community. See if there is any way you can help or at least donate to the people on the front line in your own county/community. You would be aligned with Trump....I really applaud him on this.


9 posted on 08/29/2020 3:52:39 PM PDT by Susquehanna Patriot
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To: Mariner

When I mentioned the parents... I meant that I know them, not that they also overdosed. They are grieving their great loss....despite their children’s disease.


10 posted on 08/29/2020 3:54:00 PM PDT by Susquehanna Patriot
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To: Susquehanna Patriot

The Democrats view the opioid crisis as a vehicle to loot the pharmaceutical companies.


11 posted on 08/29/2020 3:55:41 PM PDT by Lurkina.n.Learnin (Life is anecdotal)
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To: ransomnote

Many people being given chances to choose God over stress, change of habits, selfishness, addictions, etc etc We are all going through various changes and choices - Praise be to God, some will choose The Lord!


12 posted on 08/29/2020 4:04:58 PM PDT by b4me (God Bless the USA)
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To: Susquehanna Patriot

“This type of drug addiction is a disease beyond the individual’s willpower and choice. “

There is no such thing.

Otherwise there would be no ex addicts.


13 posted on 08/29/2020 5:17:09 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: Mariner

Addicts = addicts. Some are in recovery and some remain in their addiction.

An imperfect analogy is high blood pressure. Medicine is used to control the condition, as it cannot be “cured.” No one blames the person for having high blood presssure. Recovery can be described in part as the process and behaviors to control the addiction. But there is no cure.

Perhaps getting and reading the AA’s “big blue book” could help you in understanding the disease of addiction. Addiction is medically generally recognized as a disease.

As I previously stated, Trump understands this. He doesn’t drink not because he is an alcoholic, but because one of his close family members died of the disease. He has seen the costs. I have great respect for him because he made it a priority. While most addicts that I have run into are on the “left”, not all are. Nonetheless the suffering to the individuals and their families is immense and politics has no part in this type of suffering.

My faith directs me to help where I can help. And when dealing with addiction, it is important to learn what is “help” and what is enabling, or co-dependency. I do not work in the field, but I like Trump had a very close personal experience later in life that forever changed my life. I used to say what you are now saying, ... I was wrong. I hope you can too understand what I am saying, someday as best you can. At least leave open the possibility to help on this issue in your own community. If you do, and you are so moved, send me an FR email about your experience.


14 posted on 08/29/2020 5:53:15 PM PDT by Susquehanna Patriot
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To: Susquehanna Patriot

I have a family full of addicts.

It’s an issue of will alone.


15 posted on 08/29/2020 6:36:38 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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