MARTINSBURG, W.Va. – U.S. Attorney Bill Powell reports overdose calls during the peak months of the COVID shutdown have been substantially higher.
From March through June 2020 the number of EMS calls due to suspected overdoses was 24 percent 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 West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources will receive $43.7 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to continue its efforts in combatting the opioid crisis.
“I could not be more excited and thankful that we are receiving this much-needed funding for a cause that’s so important in my heart and the hearts of so many West Virginians,” Gov. Jim Justice said. “I’ve said over and over that we need to do everything in our power to help our people caught up in this horrible opioid crisis. These dollars are going to allow us to continue so much of the great work that’s going on across West Virginia and it’s truly going to help make a difference in people’s lives.”