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PARKERSBURG -- A rise in overdoses in the past year could be an unintended consequence during the pandemic, state attorney general Patrick Morrisey said Thursday.
Anecdotal information suggests overdoses from prescription drugs and other drugs has soared since the pandemic began a year ago, he said.
Reasons vary among different people, but can be due to the impacts from isolation, or not seeing the relevant health care provider or financial problems caused by not being employed because of the response to contain the COVID-19 coronavirus, according to Morrisey.
The problems can lead to other addictive habits, he said.
"That's something we take very seriously," Morrisey said.
Morrisey was in Parkersburg on Thursday for a roundtable discussion on the status of opioid litigations and recovery at High on Hope Ministries on Beverly Street. The attorney general was joined by faith leaders and treatment professionals.
Faith-based recovery initiatives are effective, but it depends on the person and their circumstances, Morrisey said. Some patients may need a more structured clinical setting while others may be at different stages of recovery and require less-structured help, he said.
The aim of the multi-million-dollar opioid settlements is to make sure the money is wisely and efficiently spent on programs helping people recover or preventing addiction, he said.
"We want to make sure the money is used the right way," Morrisey said.
Drug litigations are taking up much of the time of the Attorney General's Office, he said.
An issue now is the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy plan and how it will affect West Virginia, Morrisey said. West Virginia was among states suing the drug maker for its part in the opioid crisis for misleading consumers to believe the pain medications were less addictive and safer than what they are.
Last month Morrisey said he was not ready to sign the $7 billion bankruptcy plan.
Jess Mancini can be reached at jmancini@newsandsentinel.com.