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COLUMBUS, Ohio – More than 13 people have died on average each day in Ohio due to a drug overdose last year, a new peak in the fight against the opioid epidemic.
Governor John Kasich, who will step down in January, defended at a press conference Thursday afternoon where the count of the dead had been announced, highlighting the work he had done to progress in the heroin and prescription opioids. related overdose deaths decreasing.
However, the overall death rate is rising because people overdose and die because of fentanyl and carfentanil mixed with cocaine and methamphetamine.
Democrats hit hard during the election campaign the theme that the overdose death toll in Ohio – which continues to climb and is among the highest in the country – is the result of weak GOP leadership.
Overdose deaths have increased in recent years.
- In 2016, 4,050 people died,
- In 2015, 3,050 people died,
- In 2014, 2,531 people died.
Kasich said the state was spending about $ 1 billion to fight the drug problem, including $ 600 million for treatment. In 2014, Kasich expanded Medicaid, which covers many people in treatment.
"There is a perception – and I could be wrong about that – in one way or another, that addiction problem in our state is out of control," he said. "This is just not true – we are starting to win a number of battles over the war on addiction."
Prescription opioid overdose deaths have reached their lowest level in eight years. Deaths from heroin have reached their lowest level in four years, he said.
Who is for and against number 1?
"If it was not for what we are doing, the numbers would be higher," he said.
What the report says
- In 2017, 70.7% of drug-related deaths involved illegal fentanyl and related drugs such as carfentanil. This represents an increase from 58.2% in 2016, 37.9% in 2015 and 19.9% in 2014.
- Deaths from cocaine accounted for just over 30% last year. Methamphetamine accounted for just over 10% of deaths. This is an increase for both drugs. But many of these drugs also contained fentanyl and carfentanil when people overdosed and died.
- Last year, the number of deaths related to heroin decreased by 31.6%.
- The number of prescription opioid overdose deaths fell to 523 in 2017 from 724 in 2011 when Kasich took office.
During the press conference, Kasich was credited with a number of measures aimed at curbing the overdose of normative opioids, including adding information to a prescription drug monitoring database. The database has highlighted doctors and dentists who prescribe a high number of opioids, what pharmacies provide the most, and which patients in treatment are looking for higher doses of opioids.
Kasich's remarks
When a reporter asked him if he could do more to stop the drug-related death rate, Kasich mentioned former first lady Nancy Reagan and her anti-drug slogan "Just say no".
"If anyone can tell me how I can prevent someone from going around the corner from buying cocaine from a drug dealer, I'm quite ready." , did he declare.
He said that parents must tell their children that they can not experiment street drugs because they can be so lethal these days with fentanyl and carfentanil.
"I do not know what else to do, but warn people of these dangers," he said.
Democratic response
On the trail of the campaign, Democrats blame Republicans for not doing more to stem drug-related deaths. Steve Dettelbach, the Democrat candidate for the position of Attorney General, described the opioid epidemic as a "tragic symptom" of the GOP's lack of leadership.
Richard Cordray, who is running for governorship, has been raising the issue since a Columbus Dispatch report Sunday on preliminary overdose deaths in 2017. He has also accused Republicans, particularly his opponent of the GOP, the Attorney General's Ohio Mike DeWine.
The OSAM Drug Abuse Report for 2018 states: "The police have reported that drug cartels have flooded Ohio with fentanyl." All about Mike DeWine's watch. His first year as an AG, Ohio, caused 73 deaths due to fentanyl. Last year, we had 3,431. We need someone new to clean up this mess.
– Rich Cordray (@RichCordray) September 25, 2018
However, a spokesman for the DeWine office noted the downward trend in 2017 of monthly overdose deaths. In January, 484 people died and in December, they dropped to 318. This is evidence of the hard work of public agencies, including the Attorney General's Office and drug treatment centers, said Dan Tierney , DeWine spokesperson. "In addition, when you look at the work of overdose deaths from prescription drugs, they are down 28% from 2011," he said. Cordray was the general attorney for Ohio in 2011.
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