By Evan Bevins, The Parkersburg News and Sentinel
PARKERSBURG, W.Va. — State Delegate John Kelly plans to introduce legislation requiring the approval of the West Virginia Health Care Authority before a drug or alcohol abuse treatment center can open or expand.
“We need to stop this influx,” said Kelly, R-Wood.
There are 283 state-licensed treatment beds in Wood County, 203 of them within the city limits of Parkersburg, according to statistics from the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources and local facilities. That’s up from 30 in the space of five years.
Parkersburg Mayor Tom Joyce said he supports addiction treatment for Mid-Ohio Valley residents, but he believes there is a correlation between the increase in treatment facilities and a rise in homelessness and property crimes.
“I think there needs to be some review as to how many beds we have versus how many we need,” he said…
