Tag: opiod epidemic

The following article by Simon Haeder was posted on the Conversation website July 24, 2017:

President Trump spoke at the National Scout Jamboree in West Virginia on July 24, joining a long list of presidents who have spoken to the huge meeting of Boy Scouts, troop leaders and volunteers. The visit was not surprising, as West Virginia, in the center of Appalachia, is overwhelmingly Trump Country.

It is also at the center of the nation’s opioid epidemic, with a rate of 42 overdose deaths per 100,000, more than double the national average. Indeed, on Aug. 15, 2016, Huntington, home of Marshall University, experienced more than two dozen overdoses in a span of just four hours.

West Virginia is also a state that has been aggressive in taking advantage of opportunities offered by the federal government under the Affordable Care Act, including the ACA insurance marketplaces and the Medicaid expansion. Continue reading “How killing the ACA could lead to more opioid deaths in West Virginia and other Trump states”