In 2017, the death rate for opioid overdoses in Appalachian counties was an astounding 72 percent higher than in non-Appalachian counties. “A good job can change a lot”, said Greg Puckett, Commissioner for Mercer County, West Virginia during a seminar event hosted this week by the National Association of Counties (NACo) and ARC focusing on the opioid crisis in Appalachia. The seminar, which included two panel discussions, focused on effective solutions and how counties can best look toward the future to strengthen communities for long-term growth. It was a capstone event of on an ongoing partnership between partnership between NACo and ARC offering recommendations, best practices, and case studies to counties to help address the situation.
