Coal reporter notes links between mining and drug abuse in Central Appalachia

On his blog Coal Tattoo, Ken Ward, a Charleston Gazette reporter who closely covers the coal industry, examines the role coal mining plays in drug problems in Appalachia. "I thought it might be worth noting a few things that are out there in the literature about the connections between the region’s dependence on the mining industry and the problems being experienced now with drug abuse," he writes. (Associated Press photo: surface coal mining)

Ward cites a 2002 U.S. Department of Justice report that says, "In the eastern coal mining counties of Kentucky, the large-scale diversion and abuse of painkillers are particular problems. In the past coal miners spent hours each day crouched in narrow mine shafts. Painkillers were dispensed by coal mine camp doctors in an attempt to keep the miners working. Self-medicating became a way of life for miners, and this practice often led to abuse and addiction among individuals who would have been disinclined to abuse traditional illicit drugs."

Another report, from 2006, compiled by the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire, documented how Oxycontin was ravaging rural communities: "One reason may be that doctors originally prescribe the drug to legitimately treat chronic back pain — a result of long years of heavy labor in logging, farming, mining, or working in factories and mills. As those businesses downsize or close completely, people are left with no jobs and no hope. A natural release for many is to abuse their prescription drugs. Once hooked, treatment is difficult due to the isolation of rural communities and over-burdened health facilities."

A 2012 article in the Health Promotion Perspectives said, "Regional industry in Southwest Virginia is predominately logging and coal mining; both industries provide many work opportunities but also provide workers with injuries necessitating legitimate prescriptions for pain. Injuries that occur among workers in these industries may lead to chronic medical problems, including pain, the treatment of which includes prescription of medications with addiction potential. Because of the high rates of workforce related injuries, a lot of people in the area are considered physically disabled from work related accidents and are getting and using pain medications."

The solution, Ward says, is in laws such as West Virginia's new coal-mine safety law, which pushed for mandatory drug testing, but failed to include "any companion requirement that mine operators try to help their employees receive treatment and other assistance to deal with the problem." (Read more) Phil Kabler of the Gazette wrote of the law: "In its first two months of implementation, 23 state coal miners have had their miners' certificates revoked after failing random drug testing."

In Kentucky, The Lane Report of Kentucky noted that under a 2012 state law, "Miners who fail a drug-alcohol test will no longer be allowed to work in Kentucky mines after their third offense." The Huffington Post noted a 2012 report saying that 1,500 miners in the state had tested positive for drugs since 2006. Mine operators and other employers in the region have said it is often difficult to find workers who can pass a drug test.