West Virginia saw a 40% decrease in overdose deaths in 2024
CLARKSBURG, W.Va. (WBOY) — The West Virginia Department of Human Services recently provided data showing a significant drop in overdose deaths across the state.
Between January and October 2024, West Virginia saw a 40% decrease in drug overdose deaths compared to 2023, the most of any other state. So what's working for our state?
12 News spoke with West Virginia's Director of Drug Control Policy Stephen Loyd, who said the decrease is the result of access to overdose-reversal drugs, the statewide increase in quick response teams, cooperation among law enforcement, access to treatment and rehabilitation.
Despite that, Loyd said one of the biggest reasons for the decrease was West Virginia's sense of community.
'The sense of community in West Virginia is unlike anything that I've seen, and I really see that in our communities and people pulling together to look for solutions to help families suffering with addiction. Now, we've still got stigma, and we've still got things we've got to overcome, but those are things that I see. And we talk about it,' Loyd said.
West Virginia saw its highest drug overdose rates during COVID. Loyd said that this was due to treatment and access options being limited.
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Correctional facilities played an important role in the decline, providing medication-assisted treatments and after-care plans for people in need, as the risk of overdose increases two weeks after being released from prison.
'We were the hardest hit state, we were targeted the hardest, and now other states are looking for us in how to come out of this. And I have to admit, I'm a bit of a romantic, but I love the idea of West Virginia leading the way out of it,' Loyd said.
West Virginia's 40% decline surpassed the national average of 26.5%, which, according to the Department of Human Services, translates to 468 people who are still alive. The state's decline also led to a significant decrease in children entering the foster care system.
Loyd also spoke to 12 New on how legislation can help keep the downward trend going.
'Don't tear down what we've already built. Let's look for the holes in it and see how we tie it together and draw quality providers to our state rather than blowing up what we have. That will not work, and we will hurt West Virginians,' Loyd said.
You can find more on the West Virginia Department of Human Services' data on the state's overdose death decline in its press release.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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