Prescription drug abuse prevention project launched on social me - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Prescription drug abuse prevention project launched on social media

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U.S. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) wants to hear from West Virginians about a problem the is plaguing the mountain state.

The senator is looking to continue a series of statewide conversations on prescription drug abuse in West Virginia.  As a part of that effort he launched a new, interactive social media project on Monday, March 4 to ask West Virginians to provide their ideas to help put a stop to what is being called an epidemic.

"With one of the highest rates of prescription drug overdose deaths in the country, it is clear that West Virginia faces a troubling, and unfortunately growing, prescription drug epidemic," Rockefeller said. "I hope you'll join me in this fight by offering your ideas to solve the prescription drug abuse epidemic in West Virginia on Facebook, Twitter, and my website. Finding solutions to this complex and tragic problem will take all of us working together. Now is the time to address it head on before it is too late."

In a new YouTube video called "Solving the Prescription Drug Abuse Epidemic in West Virginia," Rockefeller shines a spotlight on this heartbreaking issue. He also asks West Virginians to join the conversation by offering their ideas to tackle prescription drug abuse on Facebook and Twitter (using #StopRxDrugAbuseWV). Or if people would prefer to leave a private message, they can do so on Rockefeller's website.

The project comes as Rockefeller pushes for two pieces of legislation—the Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, and the Excellence in Mental Health Act—that are the direct result of what he's heard from West Virginians.

The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act, would help decrease the number of opioid and methadone-related deaths in West Virginia and nationwide while the Excellence in Mental Health Act would support the modernization and construction of behavioral health center facilities used to provide mental health and substance abuse services

"I hear every day from concerned parents, seniors, teachers, health professionals, and law enforcement about the seriousness of this issue, and now I want to hear from you," Rockefeller said. "Defeating this widespread problem will take all of us, and your insights and personal experiences should absolutely drive the solution."