Lexi Winnell, a 9-year-old girl with Native American ancestry, is insulin resistant. Her grandparents have gone all out to keep her from getting diabetes.
Prescription drug abuse is growing nationwide, but West Virginia was one of the first places hit by the problem. When I picked this topic, I didn't realize how complex it was. The drugs are widely available. Doctors are struggling to treat pain with effective medications without supplying drug abusers. And prescription drug crimes have proven difficult to prosecute.
This is the second in a four-part series examining prescription drug abuse in West Virginia.
