State policies fail drug test

COLUMBUS

More than 2,000 Ohioans died in 2013 as a result of unintentional drug overdoses, a majority from heroin and other opioids.

Despite efforts by state officials to reverse the trend, the number of those deaths continues to rise.

That’s the bottom line message from new statistics released by the Ohio Department of Health. The results deserve a second look and should drive state policymakers to action.

Consider: In 2003, 296 people in Ohio died as a result of accidental drug overdoses linked to opioids. Of those, 221 were caused by prescription painkillers, while 87 were the result of heroin.

In the 10 years that followed, opioid overdoses in general and heroin in particular have skyrocketed, steadily rising year-over-year.

In 2013, 1,539 Ohioans overdosed on opioids, including 726 from prescription painkillers and 983 from heroin.

Pill mills

The 2013 painkiller stat is up from 2012 — that’s alarming, given state efforts over the past five years to clamp down on pill mills and doctors and pharmacists who hand out addictive medicines like Halloween candy.

The heroin number is more concerning. Over the past four years, overdose deaths attributed to the illegal drug have nearly tripled.

That’s not including deaths attributed to “multiple drug involvement,” which accounted for 1,014 overdoses in 2013, down slightly from 2012 but well over the 888 recorded in 2010.

The results are record highs for the state, no pun intended. According to health officials, “In 2013, nearly six (5.8) Ohioans died every day from unintentional drug overdose, or one every four hours.”

And, “Unintentional drug overdose continues to be the leading cause of injury-related death in Ohio, ahead of motor vehicle crashes, suicide and falls. This trend began in 2007 and continues through 2013.”

And, “Enough prescription opioids were prescribed in 2010 to medicate every American adult around the clock for a month.”

It’s scary stuff and not the kind of results state officials are seeking.

In the press release outlining the latest statistics, the Ohio Department of Health included a lengthy timeline showing steps the administration and lawmakers have taken to combat drug abuse and addiction.

It starts in 2011, when Gov. John Kasich established the “Governor’s Opiate Action Team” and ended with the projected passage of legislation this session to provider wider access to a drug that counters overdoses. In between, there are more than 30 other bill signings, executive orders and other policy changes.

Those actions don’t appear to be having the intended impact on overdose deaths — yet.

“Ohio is fighting drug abuse through many initiatives on several fronts at the state and local levels involving law enforcement, public health, addiction and treatment professionals, healthcare providers, educators, parents and many others,” state health Director Richard Hodges said in a released statement. “Many of these initiatives were launched in 2013 or later, and it will take some time for their full impact to be reflected in Ohio’s drug overdose deaths. We know that we’re doing the right things, but the data underscore the need to redouble our efforts.”

Marc Kovac is The Vindicator’s Statehouse correspondent. Email him at mkovac@dixcom.com or on Twitter at OhioCapitalBlog.