City, County Unveil Franklin County Opiate Action Plan
Elected
officials and community leaders gathered this afternoon at the Reeb Avenue
Center on Columbus’ south side to unveil a new plan to address the ongoing
opiate addiction and overdose crisis. The Franklin County Opiate Action Plan
was created by the Alcohol Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County
(ADAMH) at the direction of the Franklin County Board of Commissioners and
Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther.
More
than 250 Central Ohio residents died of accidental drug overdoses last year,
and about eight die each day across the state from overdose. Unintentional drug
overdose is the leading cause of injury-related death for Ohioans, and the
numbers have increased steadily in recent years.
“The
scourge of opiate addiction has hit our community particularly hard,” said
Board of Commissioners President John O’Grady. “It has ruined lives in every
corner of our community, and we owe it to the residents of Franklin County to
work together to address this epidemic with prevention and education efforts,
reducing addiction risks, improving access to treatment and equipping first
responders.”
The
Opiate Action Plan released today focuses on four overarching goals: preventing
opiate abuse and addiction, reducing the number of opiate-related deaths,
expanding access for treatment and improving the safety of our community.
“For
decades, drug addiction has ravaged communities across our country,” said City
Council President Zach Klein. “It has largely gone unnoticed and
untreated, particularly in communities of color. Today, the rise in heroin
usage, overdoses and drug-related deaths have abnormally spiked, destroying
neighborhoods and families, stressing our health systems and emergency
responders. While it’s heroin today, tomorrow will bring a new drug of choice.
That’s why my office, in concert with others, asked ADAMH to develop a comprehensive
blueprint to tackle drug addiction. Whether it’s community education or access
to treatment, we must build a successful model that helps all individuals now
and in the future.”
To
create the new plan, ADAMH collaborated with stakeholders from across the
region, and gathered input from more than 100 experts as well as from people in
recovery and family members of residents who have died from an overdose. The
plan calls for the creation of a steering committee made up of local
stakeholders such as the Central Ohio Hospital Council, Franklin County
Children Services, Columbus Public Safety, the Central Ohio Mayors and Managers
Association, and public health agencies, and identifies specific actions for
each of the next three years to address each of plan’s overarching goals.
“Fighting
the opioid crisis must be a collaborative effort,” said Mayor Andrew J.
Ginther. “The Opiate Action Plan brings together people from many areas to
strike at the causes and work toward prevention and safety throughout the
community.”
The
city and county are working together to fund full-time staff to coordinate
putting the Opiate Action Plan into effect, and envision that staff working
under the purview of Columbus City Council. Action items for 2017 include
community forums to educate and facilitate neighborhood conversations about the
opiate epidemic, ensuring an adequate supply of naloxone and organizing drug
take-back efforts and creating an addiction stabilization center offering
crisis intervention, detoxification and intensive treatment for people who have
experienced a life-threatening overdose.
"Our
entire community takes this public health crisis very seriously. We met
with families, healthcare workers, elected officials, counselors, police
officers, EMS workers, business owners, judges and many more. This plan gives
us the opportunity to combine our resources and prioritize our efforts to save
as many lives as possible. Many of the actions outlined in this plan will be
completed this year,” said ADAMH CEO David A. Royer.
To
download the full Franklin County Opiate Action Plan, visit https://adamhfranklin.org/opiateactionplan. If
you or someone you love needs help with opiate addiction, call 614-276-CARE
(adults) or 614-722-9372 (17 and under).
For
additional information contact:
- Robin Davis, Office of the Mayor, 614-645-5252
- Tyler Lowry, Franklin County Commissioners,
614-525-6630
- Lee Cole, Columbus City Council, 614-645-5530
- Aimee Shadwick, ADAMH, 614-222-3751
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