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Unlike nation building, building a coalition to achieve a common purpose is possible.
This week, the state’s high school athletic association joined with West Virginia and Marshall universities to host an opioid awareness summit later this summer.
This news comes on the heels of a recent conference in Morgantown in mid-May by faith-based organizations to address the opioid crisis. And another conference of peer recovery counselors and specialists in Flatwoods in April, many of whom are volunteers or work outside agencies.
For too long we have insisted the state and federal government roll back the scourge of opioid addiction. By enacting more restrictive laws, funding facilities and programs, and increasing awareness and prevention efforts government has made a difference.
The medical and health care sectors and first responders have also been out in front of this issue since the beginning. But it’s clear like many social issues that government alone is hardly enough to even control, let alone reverse the opioid crisis.
Since at least 2012, our state has led the nation in the number of fatal drug overdoses per 100,000, doubling or more the national average. Beyond our mountains and abundant natural resources we are also known for our ranking as Ground Zero in the opioid epidemic.
Things have increasingly gone from bad to worse even as the economy has improved and treatment has become further available. But the news this week about the upcoming opioid awareness summit Sept. 17-18 at the Coliseum and at Marshall’s Cam Henderson Center signals almost all hands are on deck.
Though some in the private sector have taken up this cause — MVB Bank has joined this latest initiative — more are needed. Joining this fight to heighten opioid awareness is not a political statement and certainly is no stamp of approval of substance abuse.
Instead, this is an issue that knows no demographics, no politics, no socio-economic status and if it does not affect your family rest assured it does your neighbor, a member of your church or a classmate.
We especially applaud the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission for endorsing this project. This organization reaches thousands of teenagers in more than 100 high schools where the message of prevention is still viable.
The campaign by the high schools group and the universities is called “Be A Game Changer.” Our first impression of that label, was such initiatives are not just game changers.
They are all too often real life savers
