Public leader in Ohio’s heroin fight will retire

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An official who has helped lead Ohio’s fight against heroin and opiate painkiller addiction is retiring.

The state says Orman Hall is retiring at the end of the month as director of the Governor’s Cabinet Opiate Action Team. During his tenure, the state’s work under that umbrella included creating guidelines for using opiates to treat chronic pain and for using medications to treat prescription opiate and heroin addiction.

The state has grappled with an opiate addiction crisis, starting with prescription painkillers and then heroin.

Hall says progress has been made, but more work can be done.

He’ll be replaced by the team’s deputy director, Andrea Boxill. Her background includes implementing addiction and mental health groups for adults and adolescents and running specialty docket programs for the Franklin County Municipal Court.