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The fatal overdoses in Ohio reached a record 4,854 in 2017, up 20% from the previous year, and for the eighth consecutive year, drug-related deaths have increased, according to state data. .
But Governor John Kasich said Thursday at a press conference at Statehouse that he was seeing encouraging signs among these grim statistics – but adds that there could be few other ways to fight against the drug epidemic.
The governor noted that fewer Ohio died of prescription opioids, deaths falling 7% in 2017 compared with the previous year and 28% since 2011.
That's important, Kasich said, because prescription opioids are often a gateway to illegal drugs such as fentanyl and heroin.
But data compiled by the Ministry of Health and reported by The Dispatch on Sunday showed that fentanyl was largely responsible for the increase in drug-related deaths in Ohio. Synthetic opioid accounted for nearly three-quarters of last year's fatal overdoses, 46% more than in 2016. Cocaine-related deaths increased by 39%, while heroin use dropped by 39%. 46%.
"There is a perception – I may be wrong about it – in one way or another, this problem of addiction in our state is raging. This is simply not true. We are beginning to win a number of battles over the war on drug addiction, "Kasich said.
The governor, who stepped down in January, highlighted several initiatives taken during his administration, such as the Ohio Rx automated reporting system, a prescription monitoring program. Doctors, pharmacists and other health professionals have used the system to request 89 million patient reports, an increase of 4,900% since 2011.
In addition, opioids dispensed to patients decreased by 225 million doses, or 28%, and the number of people using physicians for prescription drugs decreased by 88% between 2012 and 2017.
"By doing all those things," said Kasich. "We are now starting to see these good results."
A reduction in prescription drug abuse, said the governor, will likely be followed by a drop in illegal drugs.
"This does not mean that we are flying the flag" mission accomplished ", but from time to time, I think it's important for the public to see that there are bright points."
"We have not finished yet," Kasich said. "But we win."
Critics have blamed the state for not funding more treatment facilities and for taking money away from local governments on the front lines of the war on drugs.
While the state may impose restrictions on prescription drugs, reducing street drug deaths is a much more difficult problem, Kasich said.
"I do not know what I can do to stop people from buying heroin around the corner?" Kasich asked.
"What can we do? We can try to dismantle the dealers. We can try to (grab) the drugs. But if someone intends to use heroin, I do not know what I can do, but what I can do, of course, is that heroin access "is less available."
People, he said, must understand that if they use illegal drugs, they play "Russian roulette" because of the increasing likelihood that it will be mixed with fentanyl.
"It's a completely different game now … with the poisons attached to it, you click on a revolver until that bullet kills you."
@ccandisky
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