West Virginia should never limit access to addiction treatment while our communities continue to battle fentanyl, methamphetamine, and overdose deaths. We lead the nation in overdoses by nearly double the 2nd highest state, Maryland.  This has to change.  

West Virginia has suffered through one of the deadliest addiction epidemics in the nation. While opioid overdose deaths have recently begun to decline, our state is now facing a rapidly growing methamphetamine crisis that threatens to replace one public health emergency with another. Fentanyl continues to devastate families, claiming the lives of adults and children alike, including heartbreaking cases in which young children have died after accidental exposure in their own homes.

Instead of expanding access to treatment, West Virginia enacted House Bill 3337 in 2023, which prohibits the state from issuing Certificates of Need for additional licensed substance use disorder treatment beds in any county that already has more than 250 licensed treatment beds, with only limited exemptions. The bill was intended to address concerns about certain counties serving large numbers of out-of-state patients, but it also limits our ability to expand lifesaving treatment where demand is greatest.

Addiction is not a political issue—it is a public health issue. Every person who enters recovery has the opportunity to rebuild a family, return to work, contribute to their community, and inspire hope in others. This petition calls on our elected officials to remove unnecessary barriers to treatment and invest in prevention, recovery, and long-term support. West Virginians deserve policies that save lives, strengthen families, reduce crime, and build healthier communities—not policies that limit access to care when it is needed most.