1. United States
2. W.V.
3. Letter

I am writing to strongly urge you to oppose Senate Bill 204, which would make opioid treatment programs (OTPs) unlawful in West Virginia. This bill is a dangerous and shortsighted approach to the opioid crisis that will cost lives, increase crime, and worsen the very problem it claims to address. Here’s why this bill must be rejected: It will increase overdose deaths. OTPs provide lifesaving treatment with medications like methadone, which is proven to reduce opioid-related deaths by over 50%. Banning these programs will force people into withdrawal or back to the streets, leading to more fentanyl overdoses and higher mortality rates. It will push people toward crime and unsafe drug use. Without access to treatment, individuals struggling with opioid use disorder will have no choice but to seek out illicit opioids, often laced with fentanyl. This will increase crime, strain emergency rooms, and overwhelm law enforcement—all while doing nothing to reduce addiction. It ignores decades of medical research. Every major health organization—the CDC, WHO, NIDA, and AMA—supports OTPs as one of the most effective ways to manage opioid addiction. States and countries that expand access to treatment see fewer overdoses and lower addiction rates, while places that restrict treatment see spikes in crime and deaths. The so-called “transition period” is a death sentence. This bill gives a 120-day window for clinics to close but explicitly prohibits them from providing treatment during that time. Where are patients supposed to go? This is not a transition—it’s an eviction notice from lifesaving care. It’s a political stunt, not a solution. If lawmakers were serious about fighting the opioid crisis, they would expand access to treatment, fund harm reduction programs, and improve mental health services—not eliminate one of the few proven solutions we have. West Virginia already has one of the highest overdose rates in the country. This bill will make that crisis even worse. We need more treatment options, not fewer. Please vote NO on Senate Bill 204 and stand up for policies that save lives instead of ending them. I appreciate your time and look forward to hearing your position on this critical issue.