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WHEELING -- Fatal drug overdoses rose significantly in three Northern Panhandle counties last year, and those numbers could go higher when final figures for 2017 are compiled.
State health officials said total numbers for 2017 overdose deaths won't be available until the second quarter of this year (April to June) because of the time it takes for toxicology reports to be completed.
As of March 7, Ohio County had experienced 21 overdose deaths in 2017, compared to 12 in the previous year. Fatal overdoses have doubled in Wetzel County, going from three in 2016 to at least six in 2017. Overdose deaths nearly have doubled in Hancock County, with at least nine fatalities in 2017, up from five in 2016.
According to preliminary data, the rate of overdose deaths in other Northern Panhandle counties appears to have stabilized or declined slightly. The current statistics show Brooke County with nine overdose deaths and Tyler County with one fatality in each of the two years (2016 and 2017). Marshall County had at least five overdose deaths in 2017, down from six in the prior year.
Statewide, 872 overdose deaths had been reported as of early December, down slightly from 2016's complete tally of 887 drug-related fatalities.
However, Toby Wagoner, spokesman for the West Virginia Bureau for Public Health, cautioned, "Declining numbers must not be construed as a reduction in the numbers of deaths throughout the year due to delayed reporting of death information."
Dr. Rahul Gupta, commissioner of the state Bureau for Public Health, said, "That's definitely not likely to be the final numbers."
Regarding the preliminary figures, Wagoner explained that "this information is cumulative data only and consists mainly of overdose deaths occurring through approximately early December. Many additional deaths are also still pending final cause and manner of death, many of which will be drug overdose deaths."
Wagoner said, "The information is compiled from causes of death as reported on death certificates certified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. There is a significant time delay in between an overdose death and the filing of the death certificate with a cause of death, primarily due to the necessary time delay in obtaining toxicology results."
As definitive totals for 2017 fatalities are still being compiled, health and law enforcement officials are cautiously optimistic that overdose deaths will decline this year and in coming years. Fewer deaths are expected because of measures enacted for stricter regulation of opioid prescribing, community efforts to prevent or curb opioid abuse and additional treatment options being offered for addicts.
While state records show at least 21 overdose deaths occurring in Ohio County in 2017, Wheeling Police Chief Shawn Schwertfeger said only six drug-related deaths happened in the city limits last year. The city's statistics "came from known police and fire responses to calls," he said, adding, "I'm really confident with that data."
Schwertfeger added, "The good news on that front is, as of last week, we have had 12 overdoses this year, none of which resulted in death." In comparison, 25 overdoses were reported in Wheeling in the first two and a half months of 2017, he said.
"That was nice data there. Maybe some of the prevention and education is working," the police chief said.
Howard Gamble, administrator of the Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department, said, "Our community will always have fatal and non-fatal overdoses. Some of these will be the result of illegal drug use and some may be issues with legal medicines or prescriptions. We may have had an increase last year because we are more aware of the issue, but more than likely it is the result of increased use and misuse of illegal drugs and prescriptions in our communities."
He said community first responders -- including city and county law enforcement, emergency medical services, public health and fire departments -- understand the issues with the increase in illegal drug use and the potential impact. He thinks first responders work well together to try to prevent overdose deaths.
Gamble cautioned, "Although we may have low numbers now, all it takes is one bad batch of an illegal drug to cause multiple overdoses and deaths in a very short amount of time."
The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department's harm reduction program includes a needle exchange and the training and distribution of the overdose-reversing drug naxalone (Narcan) to community members and first responders.
Since launching those programs a few years ago, Gamble said, "We have trained a lot of individuals, professionals and first responders on how to administer Narcan, know the signs of an overdose and general awareness of issues with increased drug use. We have also distributed, free of change, a lot of Narcan as well."
Officials of the health departments in Wetzel and Hancock counties could not be reached for comment on the increased number of fatal overdoses in their districts.
From a statewide perspective, Gupta said. "We remain cautiously optimistic because of actions taken (in recent months)."
The state health officer said last fall authorities looked at all overdose deaths in West Virginia for 2016. They identified "several important aspects and we learned from those who have died."
Gupta said the bureau used the findings to bring in experts for an opioid response panel, which created a report presented to Gov. Jim Justice. He said the governor supported the recommendations for equipping first responders to carry Narcan, creating an opioid response team, limiting the prescribing of opioids for medical issues and expanding the availability of medically-assisted treatment facilities.
As bills related to drug prevention and treatment are signed into law, Gupta thinks results of those measures will be seen this year.
"I'm optimistic about 2018," he said. "As these go forward, we will see the most meaningful impact to the opioid crisis in our state. That policy will translate into improvements in death rates across the state."