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| Opioid crisis: Morgue transport costs double in West Virginia | |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Public health officials in West Virginia have blamed an increase in opioid overdoses for doubling the cost of transporting bodies. | Public health officials in West Virginia have blamed an increase in opioid overdoses for doubling the cost of transporting bodies. |
| The state paid nearly $900,000 (£671,000) in 2017 to transport corpses, more than double the cost in the last two years, officials say. | The state paid nearly $900,000 (£671,000) in 2017 to transport corpses, more than double the cost in the last two years, officials say. |
| The number of body transports jumped from 2,200 in fiscal year 2015 to about 4,200 during the same period in 2017. | The number of body transports jumped from 2,200 in fiscal year 2015 to about 4,200 during the same period in 2017. |
| US President Donald Trump has created a commission to study the epidemic. | US President Donald Trump has created a commission to study the epidemic. |
| He has called addiction to opioids - a class of drug covering everything from heroin to legal painkillers - "a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had". | He has called addiction to opioids - a class of drug covering everything from heroin to legal painkillers - "a serious problem, the likes of which we have never had". |
| US First Lady Melania Trump is hosting a discussion about the crisis on Thursday. | US First Lady Melania Trump is hosting a discussion about the crisis on Thursday. |
| West Virginia's public health officials believe the increase in case load at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is a result of overdose deaths, Toby D Wagoner, a state public health spokesman told the BBC. | West Virginia's public health officials believe the increase in case load at the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is a result of overdose deaths, Toby D Wagoner, a state public health spokesman told the BBC. |
| The Appalachian state saw an estimated 880 people die of drug overdoses last year, the highest death rate across the country, according to a report by the Charleston Gazette-Mail newspaper. | The Appalachian state saw an estimated 880 people die of drug overdoses last year, the highest death rate across the country, according to a report by the Charleston Gazette-Mail newspaper. |
| "It's just another expense going toward the drug epidemic that our state and our nation is under the grips of," Dr Rahul Gupta, West Virginia's public health commissioner, told the BBC. | "It's just another expense going toward the drug epidemic that our state and our nation is under the grips of," Dr Rahul Gupta, West Virginia's public health commissioner, told the BBC. |
| "This particular cost is just the tip of the iceberg to indicate the costs that Americans - certainly West Virginians - are bearing from cradle to grave. It's touching every fabric of our society." | "This particular cost is just the tip of the iceberg to indicate the costs that Americans - certainly West Virginians - are bearing from cradle to grave. It's touching every fabric of our society." |
| He added the state is grappling with a host of drug overdose-related costs including a backlog on post-mortem examinations, as well as babies who are born drug-dependent. | He added the state is grappling with a host of drug overdose-related costs including a backlog on post-mortem examinations, as well as babies who are born drug-dependent. |
| Earlier this year, West Virginia lawmakers approved $500,000 in extra funds to pay for soaring body transport costs. | Earlier this year, West Virginia lawmakers approved $500,000 in extra funds to pay for soaring body transport costs. |
| Licensed embalmer Jim Lowry told the Charleston Gazette-Mail he came out of retirement three years ago to help Charleston Mortuary Services handle the influx of bodies. | Licensed embalmer Jim Lowry told the Charleston Gazette-Mail he came out of retirement three years ago to help Charleston Mortuary Services handle the influx of bodies. |
| Mr Lowry said it was not uncommon to send up two or three people who died from a drug overdose to a morgue each day. | Mr Lowry said it was not uncommon to send up two or three people who died from a drug overdose to a morgue each day. |
| About 124 deaths each day in the US are due to drug overdoses, the equivalent of "September 11th every three weeks", according to the Trump administration. | About 124 deaths each day in the US are due to drug overdoses, the equivalent of "September 11th every three weeks", according to the Trump administration. |
| US opioid epidemic | US opioid epidemic |
| Read more | Read more |
| Life in an open-air heroin camp | Life in an open-air heroin camp |
| Opioid crisis: The letter that started it all | Opioid crisis: The letter that started it all |
| Five ways to tackle the US drug epidemic | Five ways to tackle the US drug epidemic |