This episode is about the opioid epidemic and how the pandemic is impacting those battling addiction. A new CDC report just released finds the number of overdose deaths reached one hundred thousand. That’s the largest single year toll ever recorded. The study looked at deaths from April 2020, the beginning of the pandemic, until April 21.
Ohio is no stranger to the opioid epidemic and in past years has been one of the leading states for drug overdose deaths in the nation. Experts say the current overdose deaths are largely from fentanyl in meth and cocaine. Ohio saw a near 27 percent increase overdose deaths.
The state recently started a "Beat the Stigma" education marketing campaign and Ohio received $24 million from the recent opioid settlement from one drug company earlier this year. But what will it take to get control of a problem that seems to be once again spiraling out of control. To help sort through it, I gathered a panel of experts in the field.
Jason Joyce is the Executive Director of Hitchcock Center for Women he’s also a Licensed Clinical Counselor and Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor.
Thomas Stuber is the President and Chief Legislative Officer of The LCADA Way and an Adjunct Professor of Addiction Counseling at LCCC. He recently retired as CEO of The LCADA Way after leading the organization for the past 21 years.
Pam Bouyer is Clinical Director at the Women's Recovery Center and John Lisy is the Executive Director of the Shaker Heights Youth Center.
WEBSITES and Resources:
https://www.shakerheightsyouthcenter.org/
http://opiatecollaborative.cuyahogacounty.us/en-US/Treatment-Providers.aspx
https://www.emeraldjennyfoundation.org/
https://namigreatercleveland.org/resources/community-resources/
https://mha.ohio.gov/wps/portal/gov/mha/
https://www.getsmartaboutdrugs.gov/cleveland/resources/local-state-and-national-resources
