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UC study will test interventions at Cincinnati overdose 'hot spots'

clear wall box with cpr mask, naloxone and instructions
NaloxBox
Public health officials are encouraging response groups to ensure they have sufficient supplies.

A new study from the University of Cincinnati will test the effectiveness of certain interventions in drug overdose hot spots throughout Cincinnati.

Criminal Justice professor Ben Feldmeyer says the first step is to identify 36 locations with the highest number of drug overdoses.

"Half of them would get these treatments with free naloxone boxes and free fentanyl test strips, and then the other half would serve as controls and have none of the treatment options placed there," Feldmeyer said. "We can follow up in six months to see if the ones that randomly were given these treatments ended up doing better in terms of overdoses."

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Feldmeyer says it’s the first study of its kind that he’s aware of. The study is a collaboration with the Hamilton County Office of Addiction Response. Director Meagan Guthrie says it will build on previous work involving overdose hot spots.

"We can continue to explore these innovative ways to target different hot spot areas in our community," Guthrie said. "This study will show us what tools and interventions are working in our community so that we can put more funds, resources, efforts and energies into that in the future."

Overdose deaths in Cincinnati are trending down, with between 270 and 500 deaths each year since 2020.

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"It's something that has not gone away, even if it hasn't received the attention it deserves in recent years — there's still a lot of people who are dying and suffering from overdoses," Feldmeyer said. "There's a continued need to see what works and whether these things are effective, and to find ways we can help to reduce the harm that comes with overdose and comes from these substances."

The results could inform intervention strategies for communities across the country. The study is funded by a $350,000 grant from the National Institute of Justice.

Local Government Reporter with a particular focus on Cincinnati; experienced journalist in public radio and television throughout the Midwest. Enthusiastic about: civic engagement, public libraries, and urban planning.