The Hamilton County Addiction Response Coalition (HC ARC) reports 270 people died from overdoses in 2024. The number follows a downward trend from 515 deaths in Hamilton County in 2021, and a crisis peak of 570 in 2017.
"I think it's important to note that we started in a place where we were seeing significant increases in this community of overdose deaths, and we have done a lot of work to see that trend move downward," said Hamilton County Commission President Denise Driehaus, who serves as executive chair of the HC ARC steering committee. "But there's still quite a bit of work to do."
The group released its 2024 annual report on the 10th anniversary of its founding in 2015 as the Heroin Coalition. Driehaus notes much of the success comes from working together across multiple fields and agencies to coordinate emergency response, prevention, treatment, recovery, and more.
She said the county has come a long way from being in "emergency mode" 10 years ago.
"We were trying to keep people alive. We were trying to distribute Narcan everywhere to save lives. As we have progressed with prevention, treatment, law enforcement, public health, we've moved into these other sectors, because what we know is that when people get through treatment, go into long-term recovery, they still need support, and it's housing, it's transportation, it's employment, and peers, people that are in recovery and representing that community need to also be at the table."
Highlights by the numbers
- 980 pounds of medication were collected through safe medication disposal lock boxes
- 8,100 Deterra drug disposal bags distributed
- The "Trimming the Stigma" campaign collaborated with more than 40 barbershops and salons
- Treatment efforts say 79% of clients discharged attended their first appointment at an outpatient level of care; and 68% of clients completed withdrawal management successfully
- The One Stop Resource Center helped 564 people find housing, supports, employment assistance, and more
- Distributed 24,000 doses of Narcan, the opioid reversal medication; and 120,000 fentanyl test strips
- From April 2018 to December 2024, Quick Response Teams have had more than 23,300 interactions, making more than 12,650 inbound referrals for nearly 7,400 individuals
More insights
The Quick Response Teams (QRT), which started in Colerain Township, have grown into a county-wide initiative with agencies coming from across the country and Canada to study the model and implement it in their communities.
"They are proactively reaching out to those most in need of resources and support, while removing the negative barriers that may keep someone in chronic substance use disorder," said Newtown Police Chief Tom Synan, one of the coalition's founding members.
Synan said synthetic drugs transformed the drug scene, especially the advent of carfentanil, which skyrocketed overdose numbers. Mixtures are also a big problem, he said. Given the current geopolitical climate, he's anticipating a resurgence in "organic" drugs, like cocaine and heroin, being mixed with tranquilizers.
"As much as we adapt, drug supply cartels [and] other countries — it's an international game — they adapt much quicker than we do," he said. "We're always in reaction mode on that side. So sooner or later, another supply will open up, and when that fentanyl supplier, that synthetic supply, comes back up, we've got to be prepared for that increase in overdoses and overdose deaths, and [be thinking about how ] can we mitigate that."
HC ARC divides its work among pillars, or focus areas. The original four being prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and interdiction. In 2024, it added equity and engagement to assist people from underrepresented groups, as well as recovery, which helps people find jobs, services, and supports.
"By the end of 2024, Recovery Friendly Hamilton County had reached 67 designees, which represented over 17,000 employees that made a commitment to being a recovery friendly workplace," said Cassidy Lekan with Greater Cincinnati Behavioral Health.
She noted that 66% of employers participating in the recovery friendly workplace program observed an increase in employee morale, and 65% noticed a decline in stigma surrounding addiction and recovery.
The program has been so successful, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine launched the Ohio Recovery Friendly Workplace program in 2024. Tyler Meenach with Hamilton County Public Health, which operates the local initiative, said the concept began in New Hampshire in 2018.
"We like to think that we do it very well here, and we're held as a pillar of a good local example. [The initiative] has been replicated in Summit County, and I've had interest from Lorain County as well as Wood County. So, we'd like to see it continue to grow across the state of Ohio on a county-to-county-wide basis, because when we get really localized with programs like this, we're able to make a bigger difference," Meenach said.
You can read the full report online or below.
