In one of the poorest regions of America, plagued by drug addiction, suicide and INCEST

A revealing documentary takes viewers into one of America’s poorest regions, where drug addiction, suicide and incest are just some of the complaints among the local population.

YouTube creator Drew Binksy went on a road trip through West Virginia and, in a movie He documents his 24-hour journey, explaining that it is a place where “the collapse of the coal industry left ghost towns and broken dreams.”

He also notes that “crystal meth and fentanyl addictions are rampant” in the state, while many people “live so isolated that they have their own dialect.”

The content creator begins his journey in Bluefield and as he wanders through the once prosperous industrial town, he feels like he’s entered “a forgotten world,” he says.

He continues: ‘Empty streets and closed shops stretch as far as the eye can see. It is as if life stands still for a moment.’

YouTube creator Drew Binksy went on a road trip through West Virginia. Above, exploring the town of Bluefield

In a film documenting his 24-hour journey, he explains that the region is a place where “the collapse of the coal industry left ghost towns and broken dreams”

Eventually, Drew finds a local man to talk to, but is told a depressing story about excessive drug use in the area, due to a “lack of things to do” and “a lot of mental health issues.”

Along the way, Drew passes several eerie ghost towns and scenic areas in the lush countryside before reaching the town of Welch.

As the narrator of his documentary, he gives viewers some background on the community, explaining, “Once the most prosperous coal town in America in the 1920s, sadly, only 1,600 people remain.

‘Most of [the residents] live below the poverty line and life expectancy is well below the national average.

‘Many families rely on government support to survive and access to health care is limited.’

Drew emphasizes that schools in the region are ‘underfunded’ and that ‘many young people leave as quickly as possible and look for better opportunities elsewhere.’

First, the filmmaker calls Welch “boring” and “unfriendly,” compared to other towns in the area.

But when he meets local residents Dave and Tessa, his opinion of the place slowly changes.

Dave and Tessa, who recently started dating after meeting on a bus, agree to take Drew (pictured center) on a tour of the area. Above, the trio at a roadside diner

In one scene, Tessa stops at an apartment complex where she used to live and explains that she’s glad she doesn’t live there anymore, as she’s witnessed a number of deaths.

The couple, who recently started dating after meeting on a bus, agree to take Drew on a tour of the area.

In one scene, Tessa stops at an apartment complex where she used to live andHe explains that she is glad she no longer lives there, as she has witnessed a number of deaths.

She tells Drew, “I lived there for four and a half years and since I’ve lived in that building, there have been multiple suicides… people jumping out of windows, overdosing.”

Tessa was born and raised in West Virginia, but Dave says he moved to Welch about eight years ago because houses there were some of the cheapest he could find.

He says he also faced a number of issues during that time, including a six-month water outage.

Fortunately, there are sources in this area from which people can obtain drinking water.

Like Tessa, Dave reveals that he too has witnessed untimely deaths and losing friends in the neighborhood due to drug overdoses and fentanyl poisoning

In another scene, the trio meets a local named Ruben. The black retiree reveals that he has lived there for 34 years

Like Tessa, Dave says he has also witnessed untimely deaths and lost friends in the neighborhood to drug overdoses and fentanyl poisoning.

In another scene, the trio meets a local named Ruben.

The black retiree says he has lived there for 34 years and that his mother is from the region.

Drew is welcomed into his simple home, which has no running water or electricity.

Ruben explains that he gets water from a well to wash himself, using a flashlight for light and a propane heater for heat.

After saying goodbye to the permanent resident, Drew, Dave and Tessa continue on their way.

At a crossroads they meet a man in his thirties covered in coal dust.

The man explains that he has recently started working in one of the local mines.

When we question the man further about his work, he tells us that he works underground 10 to 11 hours a day – or 60 hours a week – and that he earns about $3,900 every two weeks.

In Jolo, the trio meets more locals to chat with during a visit to the town’s supermarket

At a crossroads they meet a man in his thirties covered in coal dust. The man explains that he has recently started working in one of the local mines

Although it is dirty work, he says it is one of the best paying jobs and that the companies he has worked for have treated him well.

The man says he is back at work after serving time in prison for theft and visiting a rehab center for his fentanyl addiction.

He shows Drew a photo of himself at the height of his addiction, with chronic wounds on his arms around the injection sites.

After thanking the miner for sharing his story, Drew and his new friends stop at a roadside diner for a pulled pork sandwich before continuing on to a small town called Jolo.

During a visit to the supermarket in town, the trio speaks to more locals.

During the conversations they discover that drugs are a major problem, that there is a shortage of teachers and that incest is also a problem.

A woman in the store tells the camera crew, “We are the poorest district in the United States, or we were.”

‘About 30 percent of our community are dopers, drug users… more than 30 percent!’

Meanwhile, a man in the shop tells me that the population is steadily declining as young people move away in search of ‘entertainment’ and work.

Outside the store, Drew talks to two local men, discussing the topic of incest and one of the men mentions that he has dealt with it in his own family.

Dave also confirms that it is a common problem in the area. He tells a story and says: ‘I had a really good friend and he was fucking his half sister… I was like, “What!”‘

After a day of exploring the heart of West Virginia, Drew says goodbye to Dave and Tessa, thanking them for their company.

The YouTube creator wraps up his documentary by concluding, “I came to the poorest area of ​​America not knowing what kind of people I would meet.

“But this little corner of West Virginia is more than just abandoned coal mines and quiet streets… it’s a place of warm smiles, a unique culture and breathtaking scenery.”