(WKBN) — Governor Mike DeWine says the work isn’t done, but there’s been a lot of progress in reducing overdose deaths in Ohio.
The governor held a press conference for about an hour Wednesday. During which, he said in 2023, overdose deaths decreased by 9 percent compared to a 2 percent decrease nationally. In 2022, they were down 5 percent in the state compared to a 1 percent increase nationally.
“We created what we call RecoveryOhio . RecoveryOhio is an initiative to bring together state and local partners to tackle substance use disorder in a more unified, a more holistic, a more strategic way — and we’ve done that,” DeWine said.
Three areas were credited for helping decrease overdose deaths. They include:
- Intervention — making the overdose reversal drug naloxone available to all Ohioans.
- Treatment — Since 2019, the number of opioid treatment providers in Ohio has gone from 35 to 125.
- Enforcement — The creation of the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center, which helps get ahead of the drug problem and the State Highway Patrol is helping get drugs off the streets