West Virginia is continually devastated by overdose deaths and addiction rates.
Child Protective Services take more children from the home, and more babies are born with neonatal abstinence syndrome and low birth weight than in any other state.
Senator Brian Helton is working to change all that.
“In the history of our great state, there’s never been anything even close as far as the disaster going on right now,” said Helton, chairman of the Select Committee on Substance Use and Mental Health. “Our overall health outcomes in West Virginia are 50th. All this ties back to Substance Use Disorder.”
The drug crisis is ravaging our counties and cities, leaving fractured families and shattered lives. The senator says it’s about time West Virginia took a stand and said ‘enough’s enough.’
“And make sure we bring accountable action to the medical community to ensure we don’t have these standalone clinics passing out sometimes 500 to 800 patients per day Suboxone and Methadone medications without any other type of medical treatment,” Helton said.
The Senate Select Committee on Substance Use and Mental Health is focused on getting the people out there on our streets the treatment they need to recover.
“They do not want to be in this situation. That being said, I think some people want help more than others,” said Helton. “We need accountability for these individuals, many who come to the system for help. What we’re doing is perpetrating more addiction and hopelessness by only offering a medication-based solution.”
If we can turn this around, the senator says we’ll turn our whole state around.
“Because we all know about 95% of our crime right now is related to this,” Helton said. “Ninety-five percent of our homelessness, 95% of our children are being lost and broken in an overtaxed system. Right now, 95% of our health outcomes over and over and over. You can keep going down the list.”
If someone doesn’t step up and do something, where will we be in 10 years?
“I want to use what I’ve been blessed with, the opportunity to serve this great state and the best people in America here in West Virginia,” said the senator. “I want to honor that with effort and action, not by just saying words or offering platitudes. I’m ready to take action on this.”
