DeWine says he has plan to fight Ohio's opioid woes

YOUNGSTOWN — Attorney General Mike DeWine, the Republican gubernatorial frontrunner, said he has a 12-point plan to fight the state’s opioid epidemic that starts with implementing proven K-12 drug prevention education in every school.

DeWine told The Vindicator today that he has done a lot to fight the problem and will do even more as governor.

Among his other points are:

• Getting legislation passed to give the governor the ability to declare a public health emergency.

• Creating a law-enforcement data infrastructure that allows real-time statewide sharing of information and bring analytics and crime prediction to every Ohio law enforcement agency.

• Expanding proven drug task force models that specifically target and disrupt the flow of drugs from Mexican cartels.

• Creating a special position with that person reporting directly to the governor to work on fighting the epidemic.

• Expanding early-intervention programs that target families and children in foster care.

Earlier today, state Sen. Joe Schiavoni, a Democratic candidate for governor, criticized DeWine for not taking enough action to fight the opioid epidemic saying the Republican doesn’t attack the problem.

“It’s always just putting a little Band-Aid on here and there,” Schiavoni said.

For the complete story, read Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com