Drug Overdose is Leading Cause of Death in Ohio

As of 2014, accidental drug overdose is now the number one cause of death in the state of Ohio out numbering automobile accidents.

CEO of Muskingum Behavioral Health, Steve Carrel says a contributing factor is the increase in access and usage of the painkiller fetanyl which is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine.

“Because the opiod drugs have such a tolerance with them, in other words it takes more of the drug to get the same effect, as people are involved with heroin longer and longer, the tolerance is going up and they may find out fetanyl is a cheaper high because of the amount that they’re using” he explains.

Users are finding that it’s easier to keep using than trying to quit and to help reverse this pattern Carrel says we need more detox facilities throughout the state and the stigma associated with addiction needs to be reduced.

“A person starting to go into withdrawal, instead of addressing any concerns to the doctor, they found other means to get that same feeling usually in the form of illegal street medications and as well as heroin” he says.

A community-based drug overdose prevention and education project will take place October 27th at 5:30 at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department where naloxone (opioid antagonist) kits will be provided for family and friends of those who are at risk of overdose and for opioid and heroin users with the same risk.