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A jury in Ohio says America’s big pharmacy chains are liable for the opioid epidemic
By: Brian Mann | NPR
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CLEVELAND (NPR) — A federal jury on Tuesday found three of the nation’s biggest pharmacy chains, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart, liable for helping to fuel the U.S. opioid crisis. Jurors concluded that the pharmacies contributed to a so-called public nuisance in Lake and Trumbull counties in Ohio by selling and dispensing huge quantities of prescription… Read More

Pandemic Year Likely Deadliest One Ever For Drug Overdoses In Ohio
By: Karen Kasler | Statehouse News Bureau
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COLUMBUS, Ohio (Statehouse News Bureau) — Last year is likely to have been the deadliest year for drug overdoses ever in Ohio, according to a projection from the CDC. Ohio is projected to report 5,215 drug deaths last year, more than 14 Ohioans a day – breaking the record set with 4,854 deaths in 2017. That’s almost a… Read More

A City Wrestled Down An Addiction Crisis. Then Came COVID-19
By: Claire Galofaro | AP
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HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) — As the COVID pandemic killed more than a half-million Americans, it also quietly inflamed what was before it the country’s greatest public health crisis: addiction. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 88,000 people died of drug overdoses in the 12 months ending in August 2020 — the highest… Read More

Addiction In The Pandemic: Overdose Deaths Surge As Coronavirus Adds To Opioid Crisis
By: Corinne Boyer | Ohio Valley ReSource
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (OVR) — Terrance D. has been sober for more than 15 years and Narcotics Anonymous has been a big part of his recovery. He uses a pseudonym when speaking publicly about addiction and his work with NA. Terrance said the bonds the group has formed are very important, and they were forged through… Read More

Innovating Recovery: Group Highlights New Approaches To Addiction Crisis
By: Aaron Payne | Ohio Valley ReSource
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After years of leading the nation in overdose death rates, Ohio Valley communities are looking for new ways to deal with the addiction crisis. A national nonprofit organization promotes and partners with programs that do just that. The Addiction Policy Forum celebrated new ideas at events in Kentucky, Ohio and West Virginia to honor programs selected in their Innovations to Address… Read More

The Real Cost Of The Opioid Epidemic: An Estimated $179 Billion In Just 1 Year
By: Selena Simmons-Duffin | NPR
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As the courts consider various lawsuits against drugmakers, researchers estimate what opioid addiction is costing our economy and what it would take to end the crisis.

More Kids Are Getting Placed In Foster Care Because Of Parents’ Drug Use
By: Susie Neilson | NPR
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With drug use surging in the past decade and a half, many parents are losing custody of their kids. But is foster care the best solution?

Opioid-Related Levies Receive Mixed Response From Ohio Voters
By: Elizabeth Miller | ideastream
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The impact of the opioid crisis was all over the ballot on Tuesday – from candidates with proposed opioid solutions to county levies for strained children services departments. Near-Record Number of Children Services Levies on the Ballot New data from the US Department of Health and Human Services notes an increase in the number of children… Read More

Athens County To Attack Opioid Companies In The Courtroom
Athens County is jumping into the legal fight against opioid manufacturers and distributors. The county commissioners have retained a law firm in Columbus to file the federal lawsuit. The Athens County prosecutor’s office will serve as co-counsel. The state of Ohio is also suing prescription drug makers, as are several other states counties, and municipalities across… Read More