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    Drug Overdoses Contribute To Rise In Midlife Mortality In Ohio River Valley

    Life expectancy in the U.S. has taken a significant downward turn. This is especially true in Ohio and West Virginia, which have the highest rates of overdose deaths among people ages 25 to 64.
    by Melissa Block Dec 23, 2019 6 minutes
    Main Street, St. Clairsville, Ohio (population about 5,000), the county seat of Belmont County.

    The Ohio River Valley has seen some of the largest jumps in mortality rates among people in midlife — those between ages 25 and 64 — in recent years. Appalachia has been hit especially hard by the opioid epidemic, and Ohio and West Virginia have suffered the worst, with the highest rates of overdose deaths.

    Since the drug epidemic started spiraling out of control, Detective Sgt. Randy Stewart with the sheriff's office in Belmont County, Ohio, has seen the effects tear families up.

    "Going out, taking these young kids in body bags and seeing how it crushes the parents — it's tough," Stewart says.

    He and his fellow officers have responded to overdoses all over the rural county: "Alongside the roadway," Stewart says. "Pull-offs. Back roads. Bathrooms for gas stations, restaurants, the truck stop. We pulled overdoses out of all those areas."

    Wearily, he says he sees no sign of things turning around.

    "Not to sound negative, but we

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