Recently, nine West Virginia drug treatment programs were set to get $20.8 million that will go to additional treatment beds. State lawmakers set aside this money from lawsuit settlements that stated drug companies influenced the opioid epidemic.
Places receiving funding include Living Free Ohio Valley, Mountaineer Behavioral Health, St. Joseph Recovery Center, Westbrook Health Services, Valley HealthCare System, West Virginia University Research Corp., Marshall University Physicians and Surgeons, WestCare West Virginia, and Southern West Virginia Treatment Through Recovery Continuum.
The opioid epidemic has been felt across the country, but nowhere has the epidemic harder than West Virginia. In 2015, West Virginia had the highest opioid overdose death rates in the nation.
Opioid drugs include prescription drugs such as oxycodone, morphine, hydrocodone, codeine, fentanyl, and more. In 2012, about 2.1 million people in the United States abused opioids. This abuse has lead to many premature deaths and the problem is growing.
But it isn’t going unnoticed. Treatment programs are getting funds that will help people recover and overcome their addition.
One of the law firms that helped make these settlements possible is DiPiero Simmons McGinley & Bastress, PLLC in Charleston, West Virginia. Our opioid epidemic lawyers believe in helping those who can’t help themselves.
Opioids have caused many addiction problems, and the lawsuit settlements are part of the first steps that will help fight this problem. Since the funding is going to treatment beds, this means there will be more opportunities for people to get the care they need.
Recovery is more than quitting the drug. When these drugs leave your system, the withdrawal symptoms can be intense and unpleasant. Other medications can help alleviate these symptoms, but should be left to professionals.
Opioids are highly addictive because they change the chemistry of your brain. Their effect creates a sense of well-being and interacts with the part of your brain that deals with reward. When people become addicted, it’s not necessarily because they’re not a good person or don’t care about their health.
We need to meet addiction with programs and funding to help people recover and no longer depend on those kinds of drugs. It’s important to hold the drug companies and distributors who broke the law and flooded West Virginia with addictive drugs accountable for pushing these drugs into society.
Finding Legal Help for Opioid Abuse
If you or a loved one is struggling with opioid addiction, know that you’re not alone and help is out there for you. Big pharma companies who were negligent in causing the opioid epidemic should be held accountable for their actions.
While these lawsuits can take time, you might have a positive outcome that will help you, a loved one, and people in the future.
Call us today at (877) 623-6919 for a free consultation.
