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Social Problem: Drug Epidemic In West Virginia

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Social Problem: Drug Epidemic in West Virginia

I will be discussing a social problem, West Virginia’s drug epidemic that has been going on for years but, seems to keep getting worse from prescription drugs to heroin. There are several effects of the drug epidemic. Also, the efforts to help/prevent and try to end the drug epidemic. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention along with Office of the Chief Medical Examiner and Department of Health and Human Resources (2007), characteristics of methadone and other opioid drug overdose decedent’s; sex: in males, methadone 70.1%, opioid 66.3%; in females, methadone 29.9%, opioid 33.7% ages range 18-45 years. Furthermore, epidemic is a reflection of the long-term stagnation of …show more content…

According to Holly Jorden a behavioral health counselor and Michelle Kosa a social worker, they see drug addicted mothers on a weekly basis at family care health centers in Putnam, Boone and Kanawha counties. All mothers are taking subutex, a prescription drug that helps reduce the symptoms of opiate dependence. Meanwhile, according to the agency for health care research and quality in 2003 nationwide about 1 in 1,000 pregnant were women addicted to drugs. In 2009, the number rose to 3 in 1,000. Women who are drug addicted mother avoids doctors well into their third semester. According to David Chaffin an OB-GYN, in 2009 at Cabell Huntington Hospital 80 out of 1,000 pregnant women were addicted to drugs. In 2014, 139 out of 1,000 pregnant women were addicted to drugs. According to Chaffin approximately, 25 percent of infants born to substance addicted mothers go home after birth. However, majority of babies spend weeks in the hospital being weaned from drugs. Children born to mothers taking subutex spend one week less in hospital care. Also, diseases like Hepatitis C, common to intravenous drug users can be passed from mother to child. There are three places in the whole state that will take pregnant women and children. There is an outpatient center in Beckley, it only has 12 beds. Chaffin stated “rapid onset of withdrawal can lead to compromise of the baby through fetal distress and getting clean before giving birth will not guarantee that the infant is no longer addicted to the

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