OD deaths continue to rise in Ohio, but reason unclear, Lt. Gov. Taylor tells Vindy board

YOUNGSTOWN

Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor said Ohio is “probably the hot bed of opioid” overdoses.

While Taylor said the state is taking steps to reduce the number of unintentional drug overdoses, which is on the rise, she doesn’t have a reason why it’s hitting Ohio particularly hard.

“I don’t know if I have an answer to that,” she said Wednesday during a meeting with The Vindicator’s editorial board. “It could be that we’re centrally located and easy access” for drug trafficking, adding that Ohio is “the crossroads to America.”

Taylor, a Republican, added: “I don’t know if there’s any other theories around why Ohio. I think that’s part of the reason that we’re not able to track down” drug dealers.

A report last week shows that the number of unintentional drug overdoses in the state rose to 3,050 last year. It was 2,531 in 2104 and 2,110 in 2013. The number has risen annually since 2009.

Read more about the matter in Thursday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.