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Former U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld: West Virginia Needs Better Data, More Focused Policies on Drug Abuse

WHEELING — West Virginia needs to do a better job collecting overdose data and establish a centralized office to develop strategies for combating the state’s drug abuse crisis, former U.S. Attorney William Ihlenfeld told lawmakers Thursday.

Ihlenfeld, of Wheeling, spoke before the House Select Committee on Prevention and Treatment of Substance Abuse, which acted at least in part on one of his suggestions Thursday by advancing a bill that would create an Office of Drug Control Policy within the Division of Justice and Community Service. That office would be tasked with collecting more up-to-date data on overdoses — both fatal and non-fatal — that could be key in obtaining grant funding to fight addiction.

“Data equals funding. The better job we do of collecting data, the more opportunity we’ll have to obtain funding from sources outside West Virginia … not annual threat assessments, but daily reports,” Ihlenfeld said.

Ihlenfeld cited a recent report in The Atlantic that revealed West Virginia, in addition to having more overdose deaths per capita than any other state in the country, also has among the highest rates of hepatitis B and C infection — diseases that are spread by the sharing of dirty needles. The report also suggested the Mountain State is at high risk for an HIV outbreak, similar to the one that has gripped Scott County, Ind.

“That could happen here, as well, and we have to be mindful of that and have a plan to make sure that doesn’t happen here in West Virginia,” Ihlenfeld said.

In his presentation to the committee, Ihlenfeld traced West Virginia’s opioid drug epidemic back to the introduction of the prescription painkiller Oxycontin in the early 1990s. The drug, he said, was marketed originally as non-addictive — despite having many of the same properties as heroin.

“We are huge consumers of pain medication in the United States because of what started in the early ’90s,” Ihlenfeld said. “Doctors in West Virginia … have written with a pretty heavy pen.”

According to Ihlenfeld, doctors in West Virginia at one time wrote 138 painkiller prescriptions for every 100 residents. However, he said those numbers are on the decline as awareness of the drug abuse crisis has increased.

“That’s really good news. We’re starting to see more responsible prescribing and people are starting to deal with pain differently than they used to. … Opioids shouldn’t be the first line of defense. They should be the last thing that we go to,” Ihlenfeld said.

When someone who is addicted to prescription painkillers no longer has access to them, Ihlenfeld said, they often switch to heroin, which is cheaper and has similar effects. However, heroin often is cut with substances such as fentanyl — a powerful tranquilizer sometimes used on elephants.

Dealers now are pressing fentanyl into pill form, according to Ihlenfeld — and labeling the pills as Oxycontin or other substances.

“Fentanyl, in my opinion, is the greatest threat we face right now in West Virginia. … People don’t know what they’re getting. … One of those pills is enough to end their life,” he said.

Ihlenfeld recommended the state look into the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program, a smartphone application developed by the Washington-Baltimore High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area — already adopted in Berkeley and Jefferson counties in the Eastern Panhandle — which provides real-time tracking of overdose incidents in a given area.

The app allows first responders to report overdose incidents, which are transmitted to the app in real time with an electronic map showing the location, date, time and incident type.

Lawmakers also should look into increasing penalties for out-of-town drug traffickers, Ihlenfeld recommended.

Delegate Jill Upson, R-Jefferson, said she’s heard of drug users attending “Narcan parties” — during which a person is designated to remain sober enough to administer the overdose reversal drug to others if needed. She suggested there’s a disconnect between making Narcan more available and ensuring those to whom the drug is administered receive the help they need.

Ihlenfeld agreed that police departments should develop protocols to follow up with people who have been given Narcan, although he stopped short of recommending they be forced into treatment.

After Ihlenfeld’s presentation, committee members voted to advance House Bill 2620, which would establish an Office of Drug Control Policy. Similar legislation in the state Senate would establish the office under the Division of Health and Human Resources.

Members also advanced House Bill 2648, which establishes a mandatory minimum prison sentence of three years for those convicted of manufacturing or transporting a controlled substance in the presence of a minor.

Both measures must go before the House Judiciary Committee before advancing for a potential floor vote.

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