Despite having one of the smallest populations of any state in the Union, West Virginia ranks fifth in eradication of marijuana plants. “Weed” is widely grown and distributed across the state, along with methamphetamine and a wide variety of prescription drugs diverted to nonmedical use. College students around Morgantown also have access to club drugs like Ecstasy and ketamine, and the state’s many forested areas are home to a large number of rave parties where illicit drugs are found. All of this is in addition to a long-standing problem with alcohol abuse among West Virginia adults.

Drug and alcohol treatment and rehabilitation centers in West Virginia are witnessing disturbing trends in admissions. These reflect the growing problem with prescription painkillers and other opiates and a steady climb in drug-only admissions across all years. Trends indicate that more and more people in West Virginia are now abusing both alcohol and drugs; the rate for dual admissions has quadrupled from 8% to 31% in just five years.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Issues At-A-Glance, West Virginia
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),  December 2008

Over 7,600 people were admitted to treatment centers in West Virginia in 2006, a small percentage of the 42,000 reporting needing help for drug and alcohol abuse. While alcohol admission topped the list, “other opiates” that were not heroin or cocaine came second, mirroring the upward spike in diversion and abuse of prescription sleep aids and pain killers. A daily snapshot of patients in West Virginia rehab facilities in 2006 showed that 4% were children.

Parents of West Virginia school children should take note of some other trends that could land their child in a drug and alcohol treatment program someday. Opiates and marijuana are not the only substances haunting school campuses. For younger children, inhalants, often easily obtained and legal products like air fresheners, are an even greater threat. The decrease among older children using these has been attributed in a Texas study to the fact that young children introduced to inhalants often drop out of school and are unavailable for later surveys. The correlation between early introduction of harmful substances and later addiction is borne out by study after study, in many states. The key to keeping children out of rehab centers in West Virginia or anywhere else in America is to prevent or delay exposure to drugs and alcohol as long as possible, and to seek early treatment through a qualified drug and alcohol treatment center if a problem does arise.

Residents of West Virginia can choose between private for-profit, private nonprofit, and state-run drug and alcohol rehabilitation centers. In West Virginia, there were 83 rehab centers in 2006, 59 of which were private nonprofit and 6 were public. Access for residents is rather broad; 74% of all West Virginia treatment centers receive public funding of some sort. Many contract their services to hospitals and other organizations, which can refer patients to the proper program required for their particular problem. Not all rehab centers in West Virginia provide the same type of treatment; for instance, only 8 offer opioid treatment programs and only 25 have residential care. Thus, West Virginia families will need to evaluate their local options to discover if the neighborhood drug and alcohol recovery center is suited to an addiction to Xanax or Oxycontin or Ecstasy.