West Virginia’s Children of the Opioid Crisis

FEATURING ZOË CARPENTER – While there has been much discussion in the media and among politicians about the devastating opioid crisis in the US, a group that is deeply impacted but often ignored are the children of those who struggle with addiction. A new cover story in the Nation Magazine by reporter Zoë Carpenter takes a deep dive into the community of Ravenswood, West Virginia.

Ravenswood is an industrial town that is also deeply religious. Factories have shuttered and thousands are jobless – a perfect storm for opioid addiction to flourish in.

The children of addicts might have been born dependent on opioids. Many live with foster parents or grandparents. The local school is one of the few places where these children’s struggles are seen and felt.

Read Zoë Carpenter’s cover story in The Nation is called ‘These Kids Are Watching Their Parents Die’, HERE.

Zoë Carpenter, The Nation’s associate Washington editor. She worked previously for Rolling Stone, and has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, and other media outlets.