Multiple Pathways of Recovery: A Guide for Individuals and Families
DOWNLOAD: Multiple Pathways of Recovery Guide.PDF
Cleveland police’s specialized opioid unit now a national model
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Scott Moran spent the last three years rushing out of the door as part of Cleveland police department's specialized unit that responds to each opioid overdose in the city. The veteran narcotics detective, who is part of a seven-man team called the Heroin Involved Death Investigation unit, uses a non-traditional approach to conducting opioid-specific investigations that require investigators to be equal parts homicide detectives, narcotics cops and social workers. Moran said his unit had a lot of trial-and-error the first few years, but have since become a national model replicated by city police departments across the country. [...]
Have opioid deaths in Northeast Ohio finally crested? Evidence suggests yes
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The number of deaths attributed to heroin and other opioids dropped in recent months in what medical and law enforcement officials say is the first sign of optimism that the fight against the deadly opioid epidemic might be working. The decline comes after eight years where deaths climbed dramatically, caused by the wide availability of pain pills, heroin abuse and the emergence of synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The drop in deaths began near the end of 2017, according to medical examiner records from the three of the hardest hit counties in Northeast Ohio. Cuyahoga County had 98 [...]
Authorities: 3 arrests helped save 1,500 lives after fentanyl pills were stamped to look like Oxycodone
SUMMIT COUNTY, Ohio — Three people from Summit County face charges after being caught with 1,500 fentanyl pills stamped to look like Oxycodone. Gerald Bowerman, 36, of Cuyahoga Falls; Emmett Nelson, 34, of Akron; and Cortney Williams, of Cuyahoga Falls, each face one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute Fentanyl. “This case is another stark reminder that drugs bought on the street don’t come with a verified list of ingredients and people have no idea what they are putting into their body,” U.S. Attorney Justin E. Herdman [...]
After years of heroin addiction, Mayfield Heights man is now 11 months clean
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Between November 2016 and today, Bryan Smith gave up heroin and took it up again, only to put it down for what he hopes is the last time. He spent a couple of weeks in jail, started dating a woman, proposed to her, fathered a child and moved into his own apartment. Through his drug use, he also strained relationships with family. He was despondent that he couldn't stay clean, no matter how hard he tried. He was ready to give up. Now, he's in the midst of his longest stretch of sobriety. "I lost everything in my [...]