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West Virginia Was Ravaged by the Opioid Crisis. Things Are Finally Turning Around
National Review ^ | Apr 15, 2026 | Brittany Bernstein

Posted on 05/12/2026 7:06:00 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

West Virginia has for years led the nation in several unfavorable categories, having recorded both the highest rate of per-capita drug overdose deaths and the highest number of babies born with drugs in their system of any state.

But in July, the Mountain State finally made it to the top of a positive list, recording the largest reduction in fatal overdoses over a 12-month period of any state in the country...

It was welcome news for the state that has long been considered ground zero for the American opioid abuse and overdose epidemic...

Experts who spoke with National Review attributed the decline to a wide array of factors, some of which were the result of local policymaking while others were driven by decisions made in Washington, D.C., and as far away as Beijing...

But despite the promising overdose data and the strides the state has made, Loyd, the director of the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy, is only cautiously optimistic for the future...

What keeps him up at night, he says, is the concern that the state will fail to use the litigation settlement funds to build a system of care that is sustainable going forward.

“The opposite of addiction is not recovery, it’s actually community and relationship,” Loyd said, noting that an “effective recovery ecosystem” is what helps battle substance abuse...

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: appalachia; crime; drugs; fentanyl; goodnews; hillbillyelegy; opioidcrisis; overdose; warondrugs; westvirginia

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1 posted on 05/12/2026 7:06:00 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Old meth-heads finally died off?


2 posted on 05/12/2026 7:08:29 PM PDT by vpintheak (The left is violence.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

https://www.nationalreview.com/news/west-virginia-was-ground-zero-for-the-opioid-crisis-things-are-finally-turning-around/


3 posted on 05/12/2026 7:08:41 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege (🩰🌷 )
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Happy Days Are Here Again!


4 posted on 05/12/2026 7:27:04 PM PDT by xp38
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To: xp38; vpintheak; Morgana
I've never been, but everyone knows the song "Take Me Home." And photos showcase the state's natural beauty.

Quote from the article: “The opposite of addiction is not recovery, it’s actually community and relationship."


5 posted on 05/12/2026 7:32:56 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege (🩰🌷 )
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

It’s difficult to be optimistic... Drugs have always been a problem and while it appears that there are more drug addicts, the reality is... There are more people.

More people = more drug addicts.

It’s difficult to find a place where the population isn’t expanding because of immigration... Most immigrants arrive looking to better their lives... But there is now a new breed of immigrant... The ones arriving for free handouts and government benefits. They aren’t interesting in thriving... They are interested in handouts, and with nothing to do all day long... Drugs to ease their boredom.


6 posted on 05/12/2026 7:36:47 PM PDT by jerod (Nazis were essentially Socialist in Hugo Boss uniforms... Get over it!)
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