The West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services (DoHS) has reported promising data showing a significant decrease in overdose-related deaths and 911 overdose calls over the past year.
From the first four months of 2023 to the same period in 2024, overdose deaths decreased by 36%, with a minimum reduction of 28% expected. Additionally, deaths fell by 6.9% from August 2023 to August 2024, and October 2024 marked the lowest number of 911 overdose calls in several years.
The decline in calls and deaths offers hope, though experts like Sarah Stone from SOAR West Virginia and Susan Bissett from the West Virginia Drug Intervention Institute stress the need for continued efforts, emphasizing that lower deaths don’t necessarily equate to fewer overdoses.
Stone, a former drug user who lost friends to addiction, underscores the importance of harm reduction initiatives, such as naloxone distribution, to prevent fatal overdoses. Programs like Save a Life Day, which promotes naloxone availability, are key to saving lives.
Derek Hudson from Bream the Shop, which distributed naloxone during the event, highlighted that harm reduction must go beyond emergency responses and focus on long-term recovery solutions, including connecting people to rehab and other services.
While the decline in overdose deaths is a positive step, both Stone and Hudson stress that sustained access to harm reduction resources, year-round, is critical to continue this progress.
Stone advocates for treating those struggling with addiction with compassion, breaking down stigma, and ensuring widespread access to life-saving interventions.