Kasich calls faith leaders crucial to drug battle

Gov. John Kasich continues to take heat for not devoting more money to fight Ohio’s pervasive drug problem, but he said after a private meeting with about 30 faith leaders from across the state Friday that such efforts are more important than government funding.

“Everything doesn’t take money. Some things just take effort and responsibility,” he said after the gathering at Vineyard Columbus, on Cooper Road in Westerville, which featured Christian, Jewish and Islamic religious leaders.

“To get the faith-based community involved is a huge plus for the state of Ohio. Because, think of all the people they have access to, either every Saturday or every Sunday, where they can talk to people in those pews.’”

He said leaders of all faiths share one important trait: “They’re No. 1 job is to love people. I think they can be a pivot point. I think they can be something we can rely on. I think if the churches can help organize, at the basic block level, then i think it will be a partnership that will pay dividends.”

The get-together came a day after Kasich rolled out new rules that will limit opioid prescriptions for acute pain to seven days — five for juveniles.

Kaish said the faith leaders agreed to address the drug problem at least monthly in their messages; provide feedback to state officials; adopt at least one school to make sure kids “can hear about these dangers”; and bring at least one other religious institution into the effort with them.

“There’s no place else in America that’s doing this,” the governor said. “I don’t want people to think we don’t know what we’re doing. We’re on top of this.”

He said another component of his anti-drug push will be unveiled during Tuesday night’s State of the State address in Sandusky.

Rich Nathan, Vineyard’s senior pastor who organized the event, expressed thanks to Kasich for involving the faith community in attacking the drug problem.

“We know that Ohio is Ground Zero in the United States,” Nathan said.

“It is possible to have a political environment that folks are so concerned about guarding government from any faith leaders that we don’t really work together in partnership, and we don’t really get the people who are making a difference around the table to make a difference.”

Nathan said Friday’s meeting represents just a start.

“We hear bad news all the time, what we experienced today is a little bit of good news — and the good news is that there are a lot of faith communities on the front lines doing good things,” he said.

“I think what we heard today was really empowering.”