Compared to the other drugs, West Virginia’s methamphetamine problem is much larger. Methamphetamine was unknown to West Virginians till about ten years ago, but in the last decade, this drug has reached a popularity that is much higher than the combined popularity of heroin, cocaine and marijuana.

There are several reasons that have contributed to the excessive usage of methamphetamine in West Virginia.West Virginia gets a very high influx of methamphetamine from neighboring states such as Kentucky, Maryland and Virginia. One of the notable areas from where West Virginia gets its methamphetamine supply is the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Illegal trafficking over the years has been one of the prime reasons for the increasing methamphetamine abuse in West Virginia. It was thought that the usage of methamphetamine in West Virginia is concentrated only in the Panhandle region, but in the last few years, the growth has been uniform throughout the state.

West Virginia also has a large number of clandestine methamphetamine labs where the drug is manufactured and distributed in the nightclubs and rave party circuit of the state. Here, the maximum users of the drug are the young population of the state in the age group of 18 to 25 years. Using very simple and easily available ingredients such as cough syrups, antifreezes, lantern fuels, drain cleaners and such, these labs are able to manufacture up to ten pounds of methamphetamine in a single day per unit.

In order to overcome the growing meth addiction in West Virginia, the state has implemented various policies in collaboration with federal laws. An important aspect of these policies is to regulate the meth rehab treatment centers in West Virginia and to fund them so that they can effectively provide their services.