W.Va. panel says documentary accurately depicts local drug culture and can lead addicts to seek help

Residents of Oceana, W. Va. have been battling for months to prove that a new documentary, "Oxyana," about the painkiller epidemic in the 1,400-population town in the southern part of the state is misleading in its depiction of the town and its people. However, a panel that viewed the film said Tuesday it is an accurate description of pill addiction in Wyoming County and the state, and can be helpful in leading users to seek help for drug addiction, Travis Crum reports for the Charleston Gazette. The film can be viewed online. (Photo: A still from the film)

The panel consisted of recovering drug addict Kelly Sizemore, who is now a social worker; state Chief Justice Brent Benjamin; and Kim Miller, director of development of the Prestera Center, a mental-health facility. Sizemore told Crum, "It really hit home. It hit on all parts of being an addict. The drug problem is everywhere today. It's not just in Oceana, it's in every small town in West Virginia."

"The panel members said the film opened a dialogue they hope will continue into activism," Crum writes. Miller told him, "You've seen the film. You can't hide anymore. We have to get these people help. We have to get them into recovery." Benjamin said 30 of the state's 55 counties have drug courts, with some having a recidivism rate as low as 14 percent. He said by 2017, all 55 counties will have drug courts.

Another documentary about the drug problem in West Virginia, "Hollow," focuses on neighboring McDowell County. (Read more)