The opioid epidemic has hit Huntington, W.Va., very hard, with an overdose rate 10 times the national average. Documentary filmmaker Elaine McMillion Sheldon chose Huntington as the setting for her short doc about America's opioid crisis, Heroin(e) . It's now nominated for an Oscar. One those heroines is the town's fire chief, Jan Rader. She spends her days in an endless cycle of trying to revive addicts who have overdosed. In the film, she conservatively estimates that Cabell County — home to Huntington and to around 96,000 people in total — spent $100 million in healthcare costs associated with IV drug use in 2015. Another heroine is Patricia Keller. She's the judge of the town's drug court program, administering justice and compassion to those returning to her courtroom again and again. We spoke with both women. Interview Highlights On why Huntington has been hit so hard by the opioid epidemic, and the role of cultural factors Rader: Well, I think that West Virginia in general is
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