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I Drove Through America’s Most Unhealthy State. What I Saw Will Break Your Heart
Where Pain Pills Replace Paychecks
Last year, I drove through West Virginia last summer, on my way to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
My carefully planned trip took me past shuttered coal mines, dollar stores, and countless “Pain Management” clinics with big red letters on their signs.
A Glimpse of Paradise in a Setting of Destruction
While I enjoyed the short stretches of beautiful foliage, of the type that earns West Virginia the title of a wild, untamed paradise.
But the poverty I saw tells a story no one wants to hear — and it broke my heart.
West Virginia’s Grim Reality
You see, West Virginia isn’t just struggling — it’s dying a slow, withering death. Literally. And no one wants to see that happen.
In fact, the state has the lowest life expectancy in America (74.4 years), and the trend toward dying early is gaining momentum rather than slowing.
