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Drug Overdoses Climbing Year After Year In U.S., W.Va.

Last year set a record for overdose deaths but federal officials forecast 2021 to be even more tragic. In West Virginia, that outlook is even more bleak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released preliminary data Wednesday that estimates 100,000 people died in just a 12-month span — from March 2020 to March 2021. During those months, 1,600 West Virginians passed away.

That provisional data represents a 29 percent increase in the nation from one year prior. In West Virginia, deaths increased twice that rate at 62 percent. Vermont is the only other state to see a more significant increase at 70 percent.

“This translates to an American perishing from a drug overdose death every five minutes,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, the nation’s recently confirmed drug czar and former West Virginia state health officer in a news conference on Wednesday.

Health experts say the pandemic and a rise in the dangerous, synthetic opioid fentanyl caused drug overdoses to peak last year when 93,000 people died. In its latest data set, the CDC says fentanyl was involved in a majority of fatal overdoses.

“The amount of illegal fentanyl in our country has risen to an unprecedented level this year alone,” said Anne Milgram, an administrator with the Drug Enforcement Administration. She said her agency has seized 12,000 pounds of the substance this year, including 14 million fake prescription pills.

Elected officials weighed in on the news today, with grief and calls for action.

“Today’s heartbreaking milestone makes it crystal clear that we have not done enough,” said Sen. Joe Manchin in a statement.

Manchin said he supports more treatment options in the Mountain State and making fentanyl a Schedule I controlled substance permanently.

The Biden administration spoke with reporters today to tout how it plans to tackle the ever-increasing drug crisis. The president is calling for a $670 million increase in next year’s budget for research, prevention and treatment.

Biden may be the first president to advocate for harm reduction, which is an evidence-based approach that hopes to keep active drug users as safe as possible before they even enter treatment. For the president, that means more access to fentanyl testing strips, clean syringes and overdose reversal treatments, namely naloxone.

Naloxone can restore a person’s breathing and consciousness, preventing death and potential brain damage. EMS can administer this medication, but so can friends or bystanders.

Federal officials released a model law Wednesday that states could adopt to provide more access to naloxone. It recommends ways to make the life-saving medication affordable and accessible, such as handing it out in correctional and educational settings.

While convincing state legislatures, especially Republican-led ones like West Virginia, to adopt a Biden backed bill might be a hurdle, those in addiction services say the suggestions are good ones.

“These are things that we could already be doing in West Virginia under current law,” said Robin Pollini, a substance abuse and infectious disease epidemiologist at West Virginia University. “Physicians can legally prescribe naloxone anytime they like, and pharmacists can co-dispense naloxone… Yet this is rarely done.”

Pollini said one of the best things the federal government could do is make naloxone available over the counter.

Harm reduction programs, grassroots groups and state agencies do distribute naloxone throughout West Virginia, with many doses coming from the state’s Office of Drug Control Policy. The office has distributed over 33,000 naloxone kits so far this year. About 8,000 doses were handed out by volunteers during Save-A-Life Day events this year.

“I’m supportive and the office is supportive of all the initiatives that the Biden administration has proposed around distributing naloxone,” Director of ODCP Dr. Matthew Christiansen said.

He thinks the state is being proactive on this front, and has eliminated some barriers. West Virginia has a good Samaritan law that shields anyone administering naloxone from repercussions if they’re acting in good faith. The state also has a standing order saying a pharmacist can dispense naloxone without a doctor’s prescription.

“We know that it’s effective in reversing overdose, and we know that it enables people to enter into successful long-term recovery in a way that allows them to really be productive members of society,” Christiansen said.

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Former W.Va. Health Official Becomes U.S. Drug Czar

A former West Virginia health official will become part of President Joe Biden’s administration.

Dr. Rahul Gupta was named director of National Drug Control Policy and confirmed for the position by Congress on Thursday. Gupta is the first physician to serve in this role.

“I have seen firsthand the heartbreaking toll of addiction and overdose in our communities, but I have also seen how we can save lives if we understand the individuals behind the statistics and meet them where they are,” said Gupta in a statement from the White House.

Most recently, Gupta worked for the March of Dimes, a national organization promoting healthy outcomes for babies and their mothers.

Before that, he served as the leading health official of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department and the state’s Bureau for Public Health.

West Virginia political and health leaders congratulated the former state resident on his new job, saying he will bring a true understanding of the opioid crisis.

“His work to combat the drug epidemic in a state with the worst overdose rate in the nation, where we lost 1,386 West Virginians to fatal drug-related overdoses last year, makes him well-prepared to lead similar efforts on a national scale,” said Sen. Joe Manchin.

Statements of support also came from state health officer Dr. Ayne Amjad and former Charleston health department officer Dr. Sherri Young.

“I know he will bring a unique and valued perspective on the drug crisis facing this nation, especially rural America,” Young said.

However, Gupta also has critics. National outlets have cited his role in dismissing harm reduction efforts in West Virginia. As the state’s leading health official, he issued a 2018 report that discredited the now defunct Charleston health department’s clean needle exchange.

The Biden administration says harm reduction is key to decreasing record high overdose death rates.

Biden’s Plan For Overdoses? Harm Reduction

The Biden administration announced its plan Wednesday to curb drug overdoses in the nation. Overdose deaths are at their height, with the most deaths ever recorded in 2020 across the U.S. and in West Virginia.

Federal officials announced in Baltimore the latest national Overdose Prevention Plan.

The plan, and priorities set by Biden’s Office of Drug Control Policy, highlight a shift to less punitive and evidence-based measures, said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.

“Our new strategy focuses on people — putting the very individuals who have struggled with addiction in positions of power,” Becerra said.

Harm reduction is at the core of Biden’s latest plan. Harm reduction is the practice of keeping those actively using drugs as safe as possible. Advocates say it’s the most compassionate response to the opioid crisis, while some policy makers see it as controversial.

Either way, it works, said Robin Pollini. She is a substance abuse and infectious disease epidemiologist at West Virginia University.

“People often think that [harm reduction] is ‘progressive’. It’s not, it’s science-based. It’s like any other science based intervention that you would undertake,” Pollini said.

Federal officials outlined ways to prevent disease and death of those using drugs. That includes providing more naloxone to reverse overdoses, testing strips to see if a substance is laced with fentanyl (a highly dangerous synthetic opioid), and clean needles to curb the spread of HIV and Hepatitis C.

The Biden administration hopes to allocate $11 billion in drug programming for the next fiscal year. Congress would have to weigh in.

Even if money and support is allocated to harm reduction services, Pollini worries that West Virginia might not meet the call to action. There are programs in the state that distribute clean needles and naloxone, but some have shut down in recent months. Two programs in Mercer and Marion Counties say they cannot keep up with the requirements of a state law passed this year.

“How do we implement [federal measures], when we have an increasingly limited number of syringe services programs whose activities are further restricted,” said Pollini.

Gov. Jim Justice’s administration responded to Biden’s plan.

“West Virginia’s treatment and recovery landscape has been transformed by implementing evidence-based prevention programs, aggressively expanding treatment and recovery programs, and focusing on getting those with substance use disorder back to their families and into the workforce,” said Dr. Matthew Christiansen, Director of the WV Office of Drug Control Policy. “We look forward to working to ensure our state plan priorities mesh seamlessly with our federal partners and neighboring states.”

Appalachia Health News is a project of West Virginia Public Broadcasting with support from Charleston Area Medical Center and Marshall Health.

Mercer County Health Dept. Seeks A Thoughtful Return to Its Harm-Reduction Program

Administrators with the Mercer County Health Department are looking for creative ways to bring back a harm-reduction program. The county board met and voted to close the program last month.

Mercer County Health Department Administrator Roger Topping blamed new state legislation with “unreasonable requirements” for the closure. Topping says there’s not enough resources to meet the requirements of the new law.

One example Topping pointed out is a requirement for a staff member on call 24/7, while the department is already short-staffed.

The harm-reduction program in Mercer County had previously exchanged needle-for-needle, had supplied naloxone and offered mental health service referrals upon request.

The exchange was meant to help properly dispose of needles and reduce the amount of drug paraphernalia waste in school yards and church parking lots.

Topping says the program was working. As a result of the public hearing, held Oct. 19, Topping will form a committee to find a way to bring it back.

Topping said he hopes to move quickly with the committee and meet within the next two weeks.

“We haven’t given up on it,” Topping said. “We are just looking into how we might do it in another way.”

New Harm Reduction Coalition Wants To Bring Voices Of Addiction to State Policy

Clinics and grassroots groups that serve those in active addiction across the state have formed the Mountain State Harm Reduction coalition.

The coalition is made up of groups that hand out clean needles and life-saving medication to people who use drugs. But the statewide organization hopes to focus on more than just direct service. Instead, the coalition will act as a voice for those in active addiction.

Laura Jones is executive director of the Milan Puskar Health Right in Morgantown, which operates a syringe service program. Jones said when legislators make laws around addiction, they should hear the perspective of those using drugs.

“We discovered the voice of people who use drugs was absolutely absent from any discussions,” she said.

Jones said this was most apparent when the state passed a law regulating syringe service programs this year. Since then two programs, in Marion and Mercer counties, have shut down.

Kanawha County is currently dealing with “the most concerning” HIV outbreak in the nation due to IV drug use, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. After coming to Charleston, the CDC released a report in August saying more syringe services are needed to curb the spread of HIV.

Even though these drugs are illegal to sell and use, Jones said West Virginia does not need to continue a “War on Drugs” approach.

“We really are trying to move away from police intervention being the answer,” Jones said.

The coalition will begin to look at their clients as fellow activists and leaders. By taking those roles, people who use drugs can shape the group’s platform based on their own needs.

“They have unique needs that are only met by harm reduction services,” said Lill Prosperino with Southern West Virginia Harm Reduction.

These people might not be in a 12-step program or living in a sober-living home. Prosperino said even if these people aren’t on the path to recovery, they still deserve representation and health services.

“There are people who never intend to quit using drugs. Those folks’ needs are often not met by traditional substance use services,” Prosperino said.

The coalition will host its first health fair this Saturday at a farmer’s market in Morgantown. It will have its first organizational meeting that same day.

Health Activists Implore Charleston Mayor For ‘Proactive’ Help In HIV Fight

Activists in Charleston called on Mayor Amy Goodwin to declare a public health emergency. Some health providers and church leaders say the city needs to better address a cluster of HIV cases as well as the rise in opioid overdose deaths.

At the city’s riverfront park, Magic Island, kids laughed and screamed as they ran through fountains on Saturday. So called “river rats” took their motorboats out on the Kanawha River.

They were all trying to beat the heat. So were a few hundred adults, who gathered at the park’s lawn near Charleston’s West Side, where there were tents offering shade and plenty of bottled water to go around.

The folks here know how to come to the aid of their neighbors. The group was made up of health care workers, peer recovery coaches, faith leaders and parents.

They met on a hot afternoon to send a message to the city that some of Charleston’s most vulnerable are at risk of losing their lives.

“The individuals and the pattern they make up are not someone else’s problem. They are us, and the challenges to their health are our challenges together,” said Rev. Krysta Rexrode Wolfe of Cross Lanes United Methodist Church.

Rev. Krysta Rexrode Wolfe of Cross Lanes United Methodist Church speaks at the HIV SOS demonstration in Charleston.

Opioid overdose deaths spiked in the capital city and state last year. The opioid crisis has led to another serious threat. HIV is spreading among IV drug users.

To send their message home, a few hundred people formed a signal with their bodies on the lawn. Participants spelled out two acronyms HIV SOS. They wore red shirts that say “love breaks through stigma.” A drone hovered above their heads to take aerial shots of the scene.

Protesters gathered at Magic Island in Charleston for an HIV awareness event.

Participants used their bodies to make their message known. Speakers voiced their concerns loudly.

Dr. Christine Teague has been working with HIV and AIDS patients for 20 years with the Ryan White Foundation. She treated many gay men who contracted the virus sexually in the 1990’s. But her clientele has shifted, due to the rampant use of IV drugs.

“We’ve known for several years that our area is very vulnerable to an outbreak. And so that’s exactly what we’ve seen,” she said.

Teague and other health providers saw the need for more testing, before people wound up in the hospital. More testing confirmed her suspicions. Kanawha County saw 44 new cases of HIV in 2020. That’s three times as many the county saw a few years ago.

“I’m here to tell you that that number is going to continue to grow,” Teague said.

Kristina Hutcheson works with HIV prevention programs through the Partnership for African American Churches.

“The main reason we got into doing our HIV program is because black Americans are disproportionately affected by HIV,” said Hutcheson. “We’re 4% of the the population in West Virginia, but we make up 18% of the new HIV cases.”

Ally Fox, a peer recovery coach from Morgantown also spoke. She said harm reduction services at Morgantown’s Health Right clinic saved her life. There, she received clean syringes, overdose reversal medication, and referrals to substance use disorder treatment.

“I can stand in here and say that I am HIV negative, that my child is safe, he is HIV negative. And that is due to two reasons: God’s good graces and Mon County needle exchange,” Fox said.

More than 30 health, faith and social justice groups supported this event, which was organized by Solutions Oriented Addiction Response, or SOAR. Along with their message, the group brought resources to keep people safe.

“We had HIV testing, we had Covid vaccines, we had a fleet of doctors and nurses available for wound care,” said SOAR organizer Joe Solomon.

SOAR also gave out almost 1,000 doses of Narcan that day, which can save the life of someone experiencing an overdose.

The group is used to this kind of work. It hosted fairs that distributed the same products and care at a church parking lot on the West Side. But those fairs stopped, due to public pressure and a city ordinance passed earlier this year. The law says programs like the local Health Right clinic can distribute needles, because it has a brick and mortar location and limits the number of needles it gives out. SOAR gave out needles freely in an open-air setting.

Event participants called on the city to do more, by issuing a local public health emergency. Organizers think a local declaration would garner more attention, promote a sense of urgency, and bring more public resources to the table.

“From day one our administration has been focused on comprehensive solutions to the drug crisis and the harm that’s associated with it,” Goodwin, who is Charleston’s mayor, told West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Goodwin was the one to request a team from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to investigate the local HIV outbreak, even when state health officials said it wasn’t necessary.

“That includes solutions that are community-led, community-focused and most important community-supported,” Goodwin said.

SOAR criticized the city for passing a law that limits the dispersal of clean needles.

One council member stood with demonstrators on the day of the protest. Robert Sheets represents a ward in the East End. He was the one council member to vote against that local ordinance.

“I thought there were a few others that would have voted no, and I think they would have, but as the vote went on and on everyone just acquiesced and gave in,” he said.

When other members said these unlicensed syringe programs were flooding communities with needle litter, he suggested more syringe disposal containers in the city, not a shutdown of these programs.

“We need to be proactive in our efforts,” he said. “Not reactive, proactive.”