Huntington , Cabell County , West Virginia

With just a few strokes of the pen, West Virginia governor Earl Ray Tomblin and many other state leaders are hoping to make history when it comes to fighting prescription drug abuse. Tomblin says, "It does a great deal in giving law enforcement and the medical community the opportunity to really stop some of the substance abuse that is wrecking our families and our communities around the state of West Virginia."

He signed Senate bill 437 at Prestera's Pinecrest facility in Huntington. They hope it will do several things to help fight the problem. A new statewide database will record new prescriptions within 24 hours, to prevent patients from getting multiple prescriptions from different doctors.

The state will also impose the country's strictest limit for how much pseudo ephedrine you can buy each year. Doctor's offices that dispense controlled substances will be limited to two 72-hour doses per patient in a 15-day period.

Tomblin says, "That's the whole goal. Either to prevent our youngsters from getting hooked on some sort of drug, or to be able to make sure that those who are addicted get the kind of help they need to clean their lives up and get back to being productive members of our society."

"I'm not a lost cause. It just took some time and some people to try to get my on the right path," says recovering addict Jamie Baker. She came to Prestera to get clean four years ago, and is celebrating many successes in her life. She says, "They really set on on the proper highway for long term recovery." She addressed the importance of the bill Thursday morning. "There's people here to help you and people in the community that help, and it's worth it.

She applauds the proactive approach to substance abuse and hopes to continue celebrating her clean lifestyle as she starts a new chapter in her life. "I'm eight and a half months pregnant. Recovery. Employed. Pay taxes. Friends, family things that were a part of my life before drugs took over, by the grace of God are part of my life again today."

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