By: Lucas
Smith
Drug
abuse has increased substantially over the last five years in the United States.
Overdoses have hit the nation harder than ever. Now, this drug abuse is hitting
a little too close to home.
The
state of West Virginia now leads the nation in the drug overdose death rate.
According to the CDC, West Virginia’s death rate is 52.0 per 100,000 people in
2016. There is a significant difference between West Virginia, and the state
who has the second largest drug overdose rate. Ohio is 39.1 per 100,000 people.
The
most common drugs being used in the state of West Virginia are meth, marijuana,
prescription pills, and- you guessed it- heroin. Heroin is one of the most
abused drugs and is the main contributor to West Virginia’s overdose rate along
with prescription pills.
More
recently, the number of heroin abuses have increased, or the normal number of
users have become sloppy in disposing their messes. Drug aftermath such as
needles and syringes have been found all across the state. On January 23, a
five-year-old girl and her mother attended a restaurant on Charleston’s east
end. They went to the bathroom, and the young girl picked up an uncapped
hypodermic needle with blood on the surface. Needles and syringes have also
been found recently in a bathroom in the Charleston Town Center Mall.
“We
get a call about two-to-three times a week with needles laying around
somewhere. The Park on 68 up at Sherman has been littered with needles,” said West
Virginia State Police Officer Dan Herdman.
The
drug problem is not just found in cities like Charleston and Huntington,
Jackson County has become a place for drug abusers to reside. On both sides of
the county line, people are being arrested for selling, making, and using drugs,
including- but not limited to- heroin.
In
Jackson County, the drugs that are most commonly seen are heroin and prescription
pills.
Officer
Herdman states that 30 to 40 percent of Jackson County’s population are either buying,
selling, or using drugs. That number “could be higher with people abusing
prescription medication.”
There
are many dangers that people need to watch out for when being exposed to these drugs
and these needles. There are many risks if a person becomes vulnerable to them.
“There
are a high percentage of drug abusers that have Hepatitis C or AIDs. It is an
infectious disease hazard. It also exposes children to the needles who do not
understand the risks of these infectious diseases,” said Officer Herdman.
To
decrease drug-abuse across the county and the state, the Jackson County
Anti-Drug Coalition participates in many activities to decrease the number of
people, mostly teens, participating in drug-related activities.
“We
go on sticker shocks, which is where we go to stores that sell alcohol, and we
put stickers on the alcohol that say you cannot serve to anyone under 21,” said
member Calista Boggess.
The
purpose of the Anti-Drug Coalition is “to inform young people about the effects
of drug use, and to lessen the number of teens that use drugs,” said Boggess.
If
you would like to help make a difference, decrease the amount of drug abuse in
the state, and clean up your environment, contact the Jackson County Anti-Drug
Coalition at (304) 531- 4128 and the Jackson County Police Department at (304)
373-2290 for more information.
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