As of 2014, the state of West Virginia was credited with the highest drug overdose death rate
in the United States. In 2015, we were awarded the unfortunate title of the highest rate of youth
drug overdose deaths. The rest of the states are catching up, but they still have a long way to go.
Drug overdose deaths have increased by over 700% between 1999 and 2013.
The home of some of the worst drug offenses is Harrison County. A new statistic shows that around 50% of newborn babies are born to mothers with previous or present drug problems, needing immediate treatment. Unfortunately, it’s a problem that won’t just define a generation, but a whole state. It has gotten worse and worse each day. “I don’t know about just West Virginia, but drug use has
worsened to a degree that’s almost unfathomable,” said Robert C Byrd teacher Teresa Boggs, “It was next to nothing when I was in high school.
Smoking pot was the worst thing, and even that was a rarity. Now, I can’t even believe it’s the
same world I grew up in.” As a teacher, she has noticed that more and more people, some her
own students, fall to the weakness of drugs.
Nathan Fubio, a student and resident of Clarksburg, shared his views on the subject. “It’s (drug use)
bad,” he stated. “In our community, there’s so much of it, it’s almost to the point where there’s
nothing we can do about it.” Drugs are spreading quickly in a large area, which is what most
community members have noticed. For example, in August of 2016, there were 27 heroin
overdoses in less than four hours in Hungington. It just keeps getting worse by the minute.
“All drugs everywhere” is not the problem. Sure, smoking and drinking have dropped, but
these are merely gateway drugs. A gateway drug is defined as, “a habit-forming drug that, while
not addictive itself, may lead to the use of other addictive drugs.” One of the most common and
widely used gateway drugs are painkillers. Doctors prescribe painkillers like OxyContin after
surgeries or other painful procedures. They prescribe a certain amount, which is often more than
enough to get addicted. West Virginia is one of the leading prescription states, prescribing
between 120 to 150 opioid pain relievers per 100 people. Mica Giaquinto, another Byrd High
junior, underwent a recent surgery where her doctor prescribed her painkillers to cope with the
after-effects. “It was awful,” she commented. “I hated them. I was always tired, always
constipated, and I felt like I didn’t want to do anything. When I needed to do something, I was
too drugged up to function. Everyday needs were a struggle.” While most people might enjoy
getting high off of them, the vast majority can’t tolerate them.
Fortunately, there are multiple programs and organizations aimed at, if not completely wiping
out, getting rid of most of the drug problems nationwide. For example, there’s a program called
the Harrison County Prevention Partnership that has done a lot in the county to counter the drug
problem. Joanne McNemar has been working with them for 30 years, helping with substance
abuse problems. One of her favorite parts of the job is working with the Harrison County youth.
“It has affected me in a positive manner because it’s very motivational to see people, especially
young people, not wanting to get involved with alcohol or drugs.,” she said. “Everything we’ve
done has helped the community.” Drugs may be a huge problem, but multiple people, clubs, and
organizations are doing their part to tackle the issue.