Although methadone has long been proven to be an effective treatment for withdrawal symptoms from heroin and painkiller addiction, the drug has increasingly been used as a painkiller.

The result, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has been a dramatic increase in methadone overdose.

"While methadone accounts for only 2 percent of painkiller prescriptions in the United States, it is now involved in more than 30 percent of all prescription painkiller deaths. In deaths involving only a single painkiller, methadone accounted for four out of every 10 deaths, twice as many as for any other prescription painkiller," according to a 2012 CDC report.

A free NCSL webinar at 2 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 17, will explore policy options states may explore to reduce the risks associated with the use of methadone for pain, including strategies that West Virginia has used to address the problem.