I am rather curious to everyone's opinions on this matter...It has always puzzled me as to why this would be the case. Also, how do you think this addiction/overdose problem can be fixed? This question is not necessarily just for the state of WV, but for the entirety of the United States and the world. Before people start saying that my claim about WV is incorrect, here are a couple of the sources I found: https://www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-up-with-the-funerals/?utm_term=.f89416c8f529 https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db273.pdf
If you choose to watch the 60 Minutes piece last Sunday regarding Congressman Marino of PA, and various DEA figures, some good and some bad, you will have the answer to your question,.
What makes you think the a small state should have a lower rate? One key point of measuring rate is to allow different sized populations to be compared.
A bigger cause is the diversion of many thousands of tablets from the legal system. That is all shown in the 60 Minutes piece.
Pills, capsules, tablets. That is the form the opioids come in, I think more enteric coated tablets than capsules.
Overdoses cut life expectancy for 2nd straight year... Overdose Deaths Soar, Cut Life Expectancy for 2nd Year December 21, 2017 — U.S. deaths from drug overdoses skyrocketed 21 percent last year, and for the second straight year dragged down how long Americans are expected to live.
Well, first of all, overdose rate means that it's adjusted for population. Per your first article, the problem is opioiods. (sp?)
They have traditionally had high rates of poverty and unemployment. Up until maybe about the 40s or 60s, the majority of people in West Virginia were self sufficient. Either that or coal miners. Many parts of the state are rather isolated due to the mountain ridges and forests. West Virginia and Kentucky were/are almost culturally part of the South.