Opioid Epidemic in West Virginia – A Hope for Recovery
Introduction: The Ongoing Opioid Crisis in West Virginia
West Virginia has long stood at the epicenter of America’s Opioid Epidemic. For more than a decade, the state has consistently recorded the highest fatal overdose rates in the nation (CDC, 2022). From the coal towns of Boone County to larger cities like Charleston and Morgantown, families across all of state of West Virginia continue to suffer with the devastating effects of opioid misuse.
The opioid crisis touches every county in the state, but some areas are affected worse than others. Southern counties such as McDowell, Boone, Mingo, and Logan have been disproportionately affected, while more urban areas like Cabell County (home to Huntington) and Kanawha County (home to Charleston) have some of the state’s highest overdose rates (West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources [WVDHHR], 2021). Northern counties including Monongalia (home to Morgantown), Harrison (home to Clarksburg), and Ohio (home to Wheeling) are not immune either.
The most recent data reports between October 2023 and March 2025 show great decreases in opioid related fatal overdoses for the state of West Virginia, which is promising. West Virginia for all overdose deaths regardless of the substance have seen some of the best decreases in fatalities between April 2024 and April 2025, a total decrease of 44.2% as reported by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Ahmad et al., 2025).
The Evolution of the Opioid Epidemic
To understand why West Virginia has been hit so hard, it’s essential to look at the history of the Opioid Epidemic:
1990s – Prescription Painkillers Rise
Pharmaceutical companies aggressively marketed opioid painkillers in the mid-1990s, leading to a surge in prescribing which led to misuse of the medications.2010 – 2013 – Shift to Heroin
As prescription for opioid painkiller oversight tightened, many individuals turned to heroin, which was cheaper and widely available.2014 – Present – Fentanyl Dominates
Synthetic opioids like fentanyl began flooding drug supplies. By 2020, fentanyl was responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in the U.S. (CDC, 2022).2019 – 2022 – Rapid National Spread of Xylazine “Tranq”
Xylazine increased by 276% during this three-year period.
2023 – 2025 – Replacement of Xylazine with Medetomidine “Rhino Tranq”
May 2025, Medetomidine has largely replaced Xylazine, and the DEA issues a public health warning (DEA, 2025).
In West Virginia, fentanyl now accounts for more than half of opioid-related overdose deaths (WVDHHR, 2021). Alarmingly, fentanyl has also been found mixed with cocaine, methamphetamine, and even marijuana, heightening the risk of unintentional overdose.
Opioid Overdose Statistics in West Virginia
Problems with Reported Data
Unfortunately, data reporting is often slow to be released and as of October 2025 (during the writing of this blog), the data and graphs provided by the West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau of Public Health, Health Statistics Center has not updated county-based data since 2018. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) does show some promising more current data for the state of West Virginia.
Infographic showing opioid-related overdose deaths in West Virginia for 2018, including county-level data, top five counties, yearly overdose trends from 2009 to 2018, and gender distribution of fatalities.
Historical Trends in Opioid Overdose Data for West Virginia
The numbers tell a grim story:
In 2011, West Virginia’s overdose death rate was 31.5 per 100,000 residents.
By 2021, the rate had more than doubled to 77.2 per 100,000 residents (WVDHHR, 2021).
Counties impacted the most include Cabell, Kanawha, Raleigh, Fayette, Berkeley, and Ohio Counties.
A 2022 CDC report confirmed that West Virginia remained the state with the highest overdose mortality rate in the U.S. (CDC, 2022).
Rural regions, such as McDowell County in the southern coalfields, experience unique challenges due to limited healthcare infrastructure. By contrast, areas like Morgantown (Monongalia County) and Wheeling (Ohio County) have more medical resources, but demand still far outpaces availability.
Promising Changes to Decreases in Overdoses
Map of the United States showing percent change in reported drug overdose deaths by state from April 2024 to April 2025, with color gradients representing increases or decreases.
For the first time in decades overdose deaths are on the decline, with only three states showing increases. The states seeing slight increases in overall overdose fatalities are Hawaii, South Dakota, and Arizona.
West Virginia is one of the states with the sharpest declines in overdose deaths, which between April 2024 and April 2025 reported by the CDC a decrease of 44.2% (Ahmad et al., 2025). This is a significant decrease compared to the national average which shows a decrease of 24.5% decrease. From being the state most impacted by the opioid epidemic, it is a great relief to see that finally overdose deaths are on the decline and hopefully continue to move in that direction.
Graph showing 12-month-ending provisional counts of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia from 2015 to 2025, with predicted and reported values illustrating a peak around 2021 and a significant decline through 2025.
Decreases in Opioid Overdose Deaths in West Virginia
West Virginia is seeing decreases in Opioid Overdose deaths between 2024 and 2025 with some great numbers in the lives saved. Still Opioids and Synthetic Opioids are the most commonly seen for overdose deaths in the state. But then when looking at overall trends of fatal overdoses, it is always opioids that lead the list, therefore this is not as alarming as it may sound because this is just the nature of this substance of misuse.
Chart showing 12-month-ending provisional numbers of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia from 2015 to 2025, broken down by drug class including heroin, opioids, and synthetic opioids excluding methadone. The graph highlights rising deaths peaking around 2021 followed by a steady decline through 2025.
Addiction Treatment Options in West Virginia
Inpatient Treatment Centers
Inpatient rehabilitation provides the highest level of care, with structured medical and therapeutic support. Facilities are mostly concentrated in larger cities, such as:
Charleston (Kanawha County)
Huntington (Cabell County)
Beckley (Raleigh County)
Morgantown (Monongalia County)
Smaller towns like Martinsburg and Parkersburg also host some inpatient facilities. However, rural counties, such as Webster, Pocahontas, and Tucker Counties, often lack such resources, requiring residents to travel long distances.
Outpatient Clinics
Outpatient care is more flexible and often more affordable, with many programs offering counseling and MOUD (Suboxone). Outpatient in-person centers are present in more urban cities including Fairmont, Clarksburg, Wheeling, and Morgantown. However, many of the rural areas of the state lack in-person options, which is where Online Suboxone Doctors can be of greater assistance with being able to reach people wherever they live.
Telehealth Treatment for Rural Counties
One of the most promising developments has been the growth of telehealth Suboxone clinics. While still underutilized in West Virginia, telehealth provides a lifeline for residents of rural counties like Hardy, Randolph, Clay, and Lincoln, where in-person treatment centers are scarce.
Providers such as Recover Clarity aim to reduce barriers by offering secure, HIPAA-compliant telehealth services across the state. A patient in Summers County or Grant County can now connect with a licensed Suboxone doctor online, without travelling for hours to the nearest clinic.
How Telehealth Suboxone is Decreasing Opioid Addiction
Back in 2018 it was already noticed that the use of telehealth could be of great benefit by major hospital institutions such as the Mayo Clinic (Young, Weintraub, & Haffajee, 2018). However, there were still great restrictions on the use of Telehealth or Telemedicine for opioid addiction, which also required in-person visits to start treatment. Therefore, not allowing for a truly telehealth option, which often transportation is a great barrier to treatment. Jones et al. (2022) noticed in their study that of the participants that less than 1% received any telehealth treatment for opioid use disorder before COVID-19.
Now years since the start of COVID-19 and the emergence of Online Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, the numbers are showing the expansion of services is assisting in the decrease in opioid fatal overdoses (CDC, 2023). The ability to remove barriers to treatment is just one of the many Advantages of Telehealth for Opioid Addiction Treatment.
Barriers to Treatment
Unfortunately, several barriers prevent many West Virginians from accessing care.
Insurance Challenges
A large portion of residents rely on Medicaid or Medicare.
Low reimbursement rates make it difficult for clinics to accept patients with these plans.
Here at Recover Clarity, we work with all patients as addiction treatment saves lives.
Uninsured Patients
Without insurance, inpatient treatment can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Even outpatient programs may cost several hundred dollars per month.
Due to these costs is why Recover Clarity has a Reward Based Pricing Model.
Geographic Barriers
Residents in rural counties often lack local treatment options, making telehealth Suboxone treatment crucial.
Even some residents live in areas with insufficient cellphone and internet service still making telehealth options a challenge.
Stigma
Many individuals still face stigma when seeking help, particularly in small towns.
Why at Recover Clarity we are providing free training to Police and First Responders, to help stop the stigma associated with opioid addiction.
MOUD vs MAT
MOUD is Medications for Opioid Use Disorder and is the treatment which does not include the counseling and therapy that MAT (Medication-Assisted Treatment) requires. Counseling and therapy are extremely useful tools in general, and many people may have comorbid diagnosis that also need treated along with the opioid use disorder. However, at times making therapy a requirement for treatment can only be a barrier to receiving the life-saving medication of Suboxone. Here at Recover Clarity, we do believe in the benefit of therapy and offer such services, but for some it is not a requirement. Plus offering things such as our innovative psychoeducational platform, makes receiving some therapeutic interventions easier for those with time restrictions.
Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) reduce overdose deaths, relapse, and illicit opioid use. Research shows that these benefits occur even without intensive or mandatory counseling, as long as medical management and follow-up are provided. Weiss et al. (2011) performed a Prescription Opioid Addiction Treatment Study (POATS) trial and concluded that the addition of structured counseling showed no significant difference in retention and abstinence of patients in treatment with Suboxone (Buprenorphine-Naloxone). Many other similar studies have come to the same results. But again, this does not mean that counseling is not beneficial to many, it just shows that it is not required for positive outcomes in treatment. This expansion of MOUD may be one of the reasons for the decline in fatal overdoses in recent years in West Virginia.
Buprenorphine (Suboxone)
A partial opioid agonist that reduces cravings.
Often prescribed in combination with naloxone, which acts as a safeguard against misuse.
Patients on Suboxone are three times more likely to remain in recovery compared to those without MOUD (National Institute on Drug Abuse [NIDA], 2021).
Methadone
A long-acting full opioid agonist that reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
Available only through licensed clinics, which are limited in number in West Virginia.
It is the view at Recover Clarity that Suboxone is a superior treatment option over Methadone, however any treatment that helps someone better their lives are amazing and we fully support all harm-reduction models.
Read more: Methadone vs Suboxone in West Virginia and how it is possible to Transition from Methadone to Suboxone.
Community-Based Support and Harm Reduction
In addition to medical treatment, many counties support recovery through harm reduction programs and peer support groups. These can vary greatly, pending the county with more options in more urban areas. There are peer recovery networks, faith-based initiatives, recovery housing, among many other resources available for residents in West Virginia.
Conclusion: A Statewide Effort
Opioid addiction remains West Virginia’s greatest public health crisis, but recovery is possible. And finally, after years we are seeing decreases in overdoses across the state. Expanding access to inpatient care, outpatient Suboxone clinics, and telehealth Suboxone services across West Virginia is critical, especially for rural counties where resources are limited or nonexistent.
By addressing insurance barriers, reducing stigma, and expanding MOUD programs, West Virginia can continue to save lives from Wheeling in the north to Bluefield in the south, and from Huntington in the west to Martinsburg in the east.
References
Ahmad, F. B., Cisewski, J. A., Rossen, L. M., & Sutton, P. (2025). Provisional drug overdose death counts. National Center for Health Statistics. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/20250305008
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Drug overdose deaths in the U.S. top 100,000 annually. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023, March 29). Increased use of telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic associated with reduced risk for fatal overdose. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0329-covid-opioids.html
DEA. (2025, May 15). DEA releases 2025 National Drug Threat Assessment. https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2025/05/15/dea-releases-2025-national-drug-threat-assessment
Jones, C. M., Shoff, C., Hodges, K., Blanco, C., Losby, J. L., Ling, S. M., & Compton, W. M. (2022). Receipt of telehealth services, receipt and retention of medications for opioid use disorder, and medically treated overdose among Medicare beneficiaries before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. JAMA Psychiatry. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2022.2284
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Effective treatments for opioid addiction. National Institutes of Health. https://nida.nih.gov/publications/research-reports/medications-to-treat-opioid-addiction
Weiss, R. D., Potter, J. S., Fiellin, D. A., et al. (2011). Adjunctive counseling during brief and extended buprenorphine–naloxone treatment for prescription opioid dependence. Archives of General Psychiatry, 68(12), 1238–1246. https://doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2011.121
West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. (2021). Drug overdose deaths in West Virginia. https://dhhr.wv.gov/bph
Young, T. Y., Weintraub, E., & Haffajee, R. L. (2018). Telemedicine’s role in addressing the opioid epidemic. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 93(9), 1177–1186. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mayocp.2018.06.012