What do you know about The Opioid Epidemic in West Virginia?

The rate of overdose has drastically increased in West Virginia over the last decade. West Virginia has had the highest rates of overdoses in 2015. The number of people injecting these addictive drugs has increased from 36% in 2005 to 54% in 2015. The total cost of opioid drugs has been estimated at about $5.1 billion. The reasons for this opioid crisis have been said to be because of sociocultural factors, a depressed economy, lack of education, and a high rate of doctors prescribing opioids. #bio

I chose this problem to add to the map because the opioid crisis is a serious problem that many people need to become more aware of. West Virginia is a good example to show people relating to the crisis because it shows how many people have become addicted to these drugs and how many people died from addiction, all in one state. 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30920991 

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/wr/mm655051e1.htm?utm_campaign=colorado.ourcommunitynow.com%20website&utm_sourc