Awareness
There is a crisis gripping our region and our state. It impacts all of us. Everyone knows someone who has been devastated by the Heroin Crisis. Do a Google search for heroin and here is what you see: Ohio is one of the most affected states by the heroin crisis. Hundreds are dying each month in the State of Ohio. Thousands are dealing with the grip of addiction. Family… and neighbors… and friends are over-whelmed and distraught. It is a crisis raging out of control. Breaking the SILENCE & STIGMA Over the past year, a group of civic and faith [...]
Lake County high school students organize event to discuss heroin epidemic
PAINESVILLE, Ohio - Harvey High School in Painesville and Perry High School teamed up to hold a candlelight vigil Saturday night to remember those whose lives were lost to heroin. Students handed out purple awareness ribbons and wristbands. Recovery services were on hand to answer questions about addiction and how to get loved ones into treatment. Students like Jason Ahlborn helped organized the event. “We needed to tackle a health care issue in our community, so we thought heroin was the biggest one right now especially in Lake and Geauga counties where it hit really hard,” Ahlborn said. Those who attended the [...]
Diocese of Cleveland expands treatment center in Parma
Catholic Charities, Diocese of Cleveland, has expanded the number of chemical dependency and addiction residential treatment beds it operates for men by 16, increasing the total number of male resident treatment beds to 81. The increase of treatment beds at the Catholic Charities Matt Talbot Inn facility in Parma is in response to the epidemic of heroin usage in the community. Funding for the new beds is provided by the Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADAMHS) Board of Cuyahoga County which is responsible for the planning, funding and monitoring of public mental health and addiction treatment and recovery [...]
“Know the Risks” campaign is critical in fighting Northeast Ohio’s opioid epidemic
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Officials kicked off an expansive awareness campaign on the risks of prescription opioid abuse Wednesday, and touted it as a critical component in the fight against a heroin and fentanyl epidemic that has claimed thousands of lives in Cuyahoga County. The "Know the Risks" campaign is a collaborative effort among local agencies and organizations, production companies, hospitals and media outlets, including cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. The campaign will include news coverage, public service announcements, commercials, print advertisements and social media outreach on the risks associated with prescription opioids. Click here for cleveland.com's full coverage of the [...]
How the opioid epidemic became America’s worst drug crisis ever, in 15 maps and charts
Drug overdoses now kill more Americans than HIV/AIDS did at its peak. These maps and charts tell the story. America is in the middle of its deadliest drug crisis ever. With all the other news going on, it can be easy to lose track of this fact. But it’s true: In 2015, more than 52,000 people died of drug overdoses, nearly two-thirds of which were linked to opioids like Percocet, OxyContin, heroin, and fentanyl. That’s more drug overdose deaths than any other period in US history — even more than past heroin epidemics, the crack epidemic, or the recent meth [...]
New Ohio rules limit some opioid prescriptions to 7-day supplies
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio doctors, dentists and other health professionals will be able to prescribe only up to seven days of painkillers for adults and five days for kids and teens under new rules announced Thursday. The limits apply to acute pain patients, with exceptions for cancer, hospice or medication-assisted addiction patients. Prescribers can override the limits if they provide a specific reason in the patient's medical record. State officials estimated 109 million fewer opiate doses would be administered under the new limits. The acute pain prescribing limits is the latest step in the state's effort to fight the opioid [...]