Why West Virginia locals blame President Obama for its drug problems
President Obama will travel to Charleston, W.Va., Wednesday to address local problems of heroin and prescription painkiller abuse.
In a by the Trust for America鈥檚 Health, West Virginia leads the nation in drug overdose deaths, at a rate of 33.5 per every 100,000 people 鈥� more than twice the national average. And from the state Health Statistics Center suggests that almost 2,900 West Virginians have died from a prescription painkiller or heroin overdose over the past five years.聽
鈥淲e鈥檙e leading in a lot of categories that we don鈥檛 like to be leading in and it鈥檚 really because of our prescription drug abuse and our heroin abuse,鈥� of the Charleston Police Department told Time.
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a tremendous public awareness campaign that has helped immensely to get people aware of the magnitude of this problem and to seek solutions,鈥� (R) of Cabell told the Charleston Gazette-Mail last week. 鈥淚 applaud the president for coming here and helping to raise awareness of the problem.鈥�
But many state officials are less enthusiastic about the president鈥檚 visit, blaming unemployment rates from his federal policies for the rampant drug abuse.
In a September survey by the , West Virginia had the highest unemployment rate of all 50 states at 7.3 percent.
West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey issued a statement on Obama鈥檚 visit, directly attributing local drug abuse to unemployment from federal mandates on the coal mining industry.
鈥淏ut while President Obama finds it necessary to address our state about a war on drugs, it is inconceivable that he refuses to address in any meaningful way the plight of our miners and their families,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he President鈥檚 policies have and have caused a loss of hope in our citizens.鈥�
Prior to Obama鈥檚 appearance in Charleston, US Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R), legislative leaders, and miners will hold a rally at the State Capitol to show disapproval for the president鈥檚 policies affecting the mining industry.
鈥淯nfortunately, his administration鈥檚 regulation of the mining industry has contributed to the loss of more than 8,000 direct mining jobs and tens of thousands of support positions in our state,鈥� Chris Hamilton, co-chairman of the said in a statement. 鈥淟ack of employment 鈥� and the hopelessness that [it] creates in the individual 鈥� is certainly a contributing factor to substance abuse, and we hope he recognizes that during his visit.鈥�
After taking office, the Obama administration threw out the , a part of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977. This rule was a parting action by President George W. Bush that repealed a between mining and waterways, allowing toxic dumping from mining operations in nearby streams. 聽
鈥淭here鈥檚 a broader point that the president fully understands, that there is a link between social conditions and addiction,鈥� an anonymous senior told The New York Times. He adds that access to meaningful employment for local people is a priority for the administration.
