Attorney general unveils plan to combat crisis

Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine has unveiled a set of 12 initiatives dubbed “Recover Ohio” designed to help combat the opioid epidemic ravaging the state.

“Ohio is in crisis,” DeWine said. “At least 14 Ohioans are dying every single day in our state from drug overdoses. More people will die in Ohio this week (from drug overdoses) than died in the devastating shooting recently in Las Vegas.”

Ohio has more overdose deaths than any other state. In 2016, there were 4,050 overdose deaths in the state, breaking the record set the previous year of 3,050.

DeWine said his multipronged plan includes treatment, new tools for law enforcement, and expanding prevention. The Recover Ohio Plan: • 1. Pass legislation to give the governor the ability to declare a public health emergency statewide or in specific areas, which would allow for the distribution of money and other resources to local entities that are facing unexpected emergency conditions like overdose spikes, and creating an accelerated process for state licenses or approvals in critical professions such as the medical or social work fields as well as expedited licensing reciprocity with other states.

• 2. Create a 21st century law enforcement data infrastructure that allows real-time, statewide data sharing and brings stateof-the-art data analytics and crime prediction to every Ohio law enforcement agency.

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

• 4. Create at least 60 more specialized drug courts.

• 5. Double the substance use treatment capacity in Ohio.

• 6. Expand workforce of specialists in critical professions.

• 7. Empower employers to help employees with substance use disorders to seek treatment while remaining employed.

• 8. Help business owners hire employees in recovery by offering employers incentives and reducing risks.

• 9. Create a special position reporting directly to the governor with cabinetlevel authority, who works every day with the singleminded focus of fighting the opioid epidemic.

• 10. Implement proven kindergarten-12th grade drug prevention education in all Ohio schools.

• 11. Roll out a statewide drug prevention media campaign.

• 12. Expanded early intervention programs that target Ohio families and children in foster care.

DeWine said the plan should be paid for by the drug companies — the people he said are responsible for the crisis.

The attorney general Oct. 30 sent a letter to the five companies he filed a lawsuit against in May — Purdue Pharma, Endo Health Solutions, Teva, Johnson & Johnson and Allergan — giving them 30 days to come forward and begin settlement solutions.

DeWine also sent letters to Cardinal Health, McKesson, and Amerisource Bergen, drug distributors whom he said “flooded the state with pills that they knew far exceeded medical need.” He asked them to come forward and pay their share as well.

“While there is no amount of money that can bring back the thousands of our fellow Ohioans who have died or take away the pain of their families, these drug companies must be held accountable,” DeWine said.