The war on drugs in West Virginia is now dominated by the abuse of prescription pills. The use of those prescription pills is the leading cause of death among West Virginia drug users.
Federal prosecutor Booth Goodwin says nine out of every ten drug-related deaths in West Virginia is blamed solely–or at least in part – on abused pills.
Goodwin says those who abuse pain killers aren’t typical addicts.
“Most of these people don’t fit the ordinary profile of an addict,” said Goodwin said Thursday on MetroNews Talkline. “They may have gotten a prescription after surgery or some other sort of pain, the prescription runs out, and the doctor won’t write them another. They then go to the street to get that fix.”