Opioids

Mitch McConnell Introduces Bill To Address Impact Of Opioid Epidemic On Nation's Workforce

By • Apr 25, 2018

U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky has introduced a bill aimed at addressing the impact the opioid epidemic is having on the nation’s workforce.

The Comprehensive Addiction Recovery through Effective Employment and Reentry, or CAREER Act, creates a pilot program focused on the states most devastated by substance abuse. The legislation encourages local businesses and treatment groups to form partnerships. McConnell said having stable employment is about more than a paycheck and supporting a family.

Opioid Crisis Causes Rise In Local HIV Infections

By • Apr 18, 2018
Bill Rinehart / WVXU

It's too early to tell if Hamilton County's needle exchange program may be making a difference in local HIV infections. The number of new cases in the first quarter of this year is less than the same period last year. But more of the cases come from intravenous drug use (IDU).

Additional Opioid Quick Response Team Hits The Streets

By • Apr 17, 2018
Tana Weingartner / WVXU

The newest countywide heroin quick response team (QRT) is up and running. Team members made their first visits Tuesday using a donated Ford Explorer.

'Just In Case,' Ohio Schools Stock Overdose Reversing Drug

By editor • Apr 11, 2018

The U.S. Surgeon General has issued an advisory, encouraging more Americans to carry the overdose reversing drug naloxone.

It comes in the form of an injection or a nasal spray, known as Narcan, and is regularly carried by firefighters, EMTs and police officers, but the antidote is also becoming more and more common in Ohio schools.

In Lisbon, Education is More Than English and Math

Students at David Anderson Junior and Senior High School in Lisbon, Ohio, file into the auditorium on a Thursday morning.

How Can Ohio Cities Step Up Their Response To Overdoses? Make The Data Public

By editor • Apr 10, 2018

This story comes from The Ohio Center For Investigative Journalism. Find out about local events focused on solutions to the opioid crisis below.

The most dangerous time for Cincinnati heroin addicts is not a typical party time: 3 p.m. on Wednesdays. For Columbus, it’s 6 p.m. on Thursdays, and in Akron, 7 p.m. on Tuesdays. 

U.S. Surgeon General Brings Naloxone Message To Northern Kentucky

By • Apr 9, 2018
Tana Weingartner / WVXU

No one in Kentucky is more than one person removed from the opioid epidemic, according to state health officials meeting Monday with U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. The visit comes just days after Adams' call for more people to carry the overdose reversal drug naloxone.

Surgeon General Urges More Americans To Carry Opioid Antidote

By • Apr 5, 2018

As opioid-related deaths have continued to climb, naloxone, a drug that can reverse overdoses, has become an important part of the public health response.

When people overdosing struggle to breathe, naloxone can restore normal breathing and save their lives. But the drug has to be given quickly.

On Thursday, U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued an advisory that encouraged more people to routinely carry naloxone.

Dangerous Drug Mixture On Ohio's Streets Is Blamed For Many Recent Opioid Deaths In Ohio Right Now

By • Apr 4, 2018

As opiate deaths continue to climb in Ohio, there’s another deadly trend that’s apparently gaining popularity – drug combinations. 

As Opioids Land More Women in Prison, Ohio Finds Alternative Treatments

By Allison Herrera • Apr 4, 2018
Flickr

It’s a chilly March afternoon in Marysville, Ohio, and I’m riding around on a golf cart with Clara Golding Kent, the public information officer for the Ohio Reformatory for Women. It’s right after "count," when officials make sure the women serving time at Ohio's oldest prison are where they're supposed to be.

Richard Cordray Announces Opioid Attack Plan, With Emphasis On Treatment

By Adora Namigadde • Mar 26, 2018

Appearing with Mayor Andrew Ginther in Columbus on Monday, Richard Cordray announced his plan to combat the opioid epidemic in Ohio.

Chiropractors Urge "Culture Change" In Pain Treatment

By • Mar 21, 2018

A health care association is touting what its members believe to be a clear path Ohioans can take to cut down on opioid addiction. This path would take a culture change when it comes to the reputation of alternative medicine.

Here's How Many Overdose Deaths Hamilton County Had In 2017

By • Mar 20, 2018
Tana Weingartner / WVXU

The numbers are in, and they aren't good.

Staying Sober And The Role Of Recovery Housing

By Dan Hurley • Mar 15, 2018
Pixabay.com

The discussion about helping people addicted to opioids often focuses on getting them into treatment.  But experts in the field of recovery housing say the conversation needs to go farther, to lifelong sobriety.  They say recovery housing can provide the first foundation of support for staying clean and sober.

12 Indicted In Drug Trafficking Scheme Tied To Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel

By • Mar 8, 2018
law enforcement officials behind a podium
Tana Weingartner / WVXU

Updated March 9, 2018 at 4:55 p.m.

Nine of 12 individuals charged in U.S. District Court in Ohio in a narcotics and money laundering scheme are in custody following a year-long FBI investigation. More than 40 others are charged in San Diego, Columbus, Lexington, Kansas and Washington in a case with ties to the Mexican Sinaloa Cartel.

Ohio Chooses Local Scientists To Fight Opioid Crisis

By • Jan 30, 2018
Pixabay

With the opioid crisis continuing to ravage Ohio, the state issued a $10,000 challenge. Tuesday, five winners were announced, including Cincinnati's Kinematechs and a University of Dayton researcher.

Needle Exchange Program Seen As Important Tool In Combating Opioid Epidemic

By • Jan 19, 2018
Bill Rinehart / WVXU

Hamilton County's needle exchange program is fully operational. And officials are hoping it will do more than just allow people to trade dirty syringes for clean ones.

Many Area School Districts Not Jumping On Drug Testing Bandwagon

By • Jan 8, 2018
Wikimedia Commons

Random drug tests are routine for private schools but few area public schools are doing it, even with the opioid crisis. Among the reasons they give for skipping testing include: it's not the best way to partner with families, there's a lack of scientific data on effectiveness, and the issue just hasn't come up.

A Look Ahead To The Local Stories To Watch In 2018

By Mark Heyne • Jan 5, 2018
Jim Nolan/WVXU

With three new members, Cincinnati City Council is sworn in and gets to work, the region continues to suffer the effects of the opioid epidemic, Macy's announces the closing of its downtown store, the Ohio governor and senate races take shape and FC Cincinnati still waits to hear about its bid for a Major League Soccer franchise.

Focusing On Success Stories In The Fight Against Heroin

By Mark Heyne • Dec 19, 2017
Provided

Much of the reporting on the heroin crisis is focused on the tragic aspects of the epidemic, leaving people feeling helpless and hopeless without an end in sight. A local organization, the Urban Minority Alcohol & Drug Abuse Outreach Program (UMADAOP), says getting out a message of help and hope is equally as important as telling the story of risk and loss.

How Local Colleges Are Helping Fight Heroin

By Mark Heyne • Nov 7, 2017
Provided

This Friday, November 10, Northern Kentucky University will host the inaugural conference of the Ohio River Valley Addiction Research Consortium (ORVARC). The conference will focus on evidence-based research on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS).

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