By Dakota Baker
West Virginia has long struggled to battle the opioid epidemic. In 2021, West Virginia was at the top of the list for drug overdose deaths, with 90.9 fatal overdoses per 100,000 people, with 83% of those deaths involving opioids. While there has been a decrease in overdose deaths in West Virginia by 36% from January to June 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, recent legislation threatens to halt that progress. SB 204 seeks to make opioid treatment programs unlawful in West Virginia, specifically targeting treatment centers that administer opioid treatment medications in the form of opioid agonists or partial agonists, such as methadone. What is methadone? Methadone is a medication used in medication-assisted treatment (MAT). It is typically used to treat substance use disorder (SUD) and help people reduce or quit their use of opioids. It works best paired with counseling and social support. Methadone functions by altering the brain and nervous system’s response to pain. It helps reduce the discomfort associated with opioid withdrawal and prevents the pleasurable effects of opioids like heroin, morphine, and codeine, as well as semi-synthetic opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. Available in pill, liquid, and wafer forms, methadone is typically taken once daily. A single dose provides pain relief for approximately four to eight hours. There are legitimate doubts when it comes to methadone, stemming from its potential to be abused as it can become addictive if not used as prescribed.
However, outlawing MAT such as methadone does not help the population it serves, particularly in rural West Virginia, where treatment for SUD already faces unique treatment barriers such as availability and access to treatment programs. Outlawing MAT programs such as methadone will only add to the treatment barriers that West Virginia residents already face. Instead of continuing to diminish our existing services, the focus should shift to implementing the services we lack, such as adequate comprehensive support services and funding for SUD treatment. Funding is a vital aspect of SUD treatment. The Department of Human Services (DoHs) observed outcomes in the Medicaid program for the 2022 State Opioid Response (SOR) grant and found that participants were less likely to use alcohol or illegal drugs at their 30-day follow-up, had no past 30-day arrests, and were more likely to be employed and/or attending school. Christina Mullins, DoHS Deputy Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders, mentions how “Overcoming a substance use disorder is not as simple as resisting the temptation to take drugs,” and there is no one-size-fits-all approach to SUD treatment. This is why having various treatment options available is so important, not further criminalizing the institutions in place to help as SB 204 sets out to do. In the battle against substance use disorder, particularly in rural areas like West Virginia, we cannot afford to take steps backward. SB 204 jeopardizes vital programs that have saved lives and assisted many struggling with addiction.
While no treatment is perfect, methadone and other Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) options offer hope and support for those in need. Instead of shutting down these programs, lawmakers should focus on expanding access to a variety of treatment options so that people across West Virginia can receive the help they deserve. If our lawmakers truly want to reduce overdose deaths and improve their communities, they should invest more in recovery, not less. West Virginia has made progress, and they should not jeopardize it with policies that hinder, not help, recovery. West Virginia deserves better.
