Community Connections Case Study

Since 2014, West Virginia has had one of the highest drug overdose fatality rates in the country. Efforts to address prescribing rates and the socioeconomic factors fueling the crisis resulted in a slight decrease in overdose deaths in recent years, but the rise of fentanyl coupled with the stressors of the COVID-19 pandemic reversed this positive trend.

To address the growing opioid crisis, local nonprofit Community Connections and several partner organizations launched West Virginia’s first Medication Disposal Campaign to educate citizens about prevention and provide the Deterra® Drug Deactivation and Disposal System for at-home disposal of unwanted drugs.