CABELL COUNTY HAS EIGHT DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS IN A WEEK

(12/12/2015)
The drug epidemic continues to grow in West Virginia, filtering down to the state's most rural counties.

Cabell County just had the deadliest week of overdoses in nearly a year with eight overdose deaths in one week.

Jim Johnson, director of the Huntington Mayor's Office of Drug Control Policy, said there have been eight overdose deaths in the last week. "The numbers that we're looking at now is the highest numbers we've had in a seven-day period this year," said Jim Johnson, Office of Drug Control Policy.

West Virginia is leading the nation with drug overdose deaths capitated by population.

In October, Johnson said there had been 641 overdoses. The total number of overdoses in Cabell County is now approaching 900.

Though the drug epidemic is plaguing Cabell County, Johnson said it is a growing problem across the state and USA.

Despite a number of initiatives, actual residential treatment beds for alcohol and drug addicted individuals continues to come up short.