The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Opioids focus of local leaders
The opioid epidemic was a prevailing theme at the annual legislative breakfast Feb. 12 at LaMalfa Mentor.
All seven speakers dedicated at least a portion of their time to discuss the topic at the event hosted by the Lake County Development Council, celebrating its 60th anniversary this year.
Panelists consisted of a mixture of federal, state and local officials. Speaking were: U.S. Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Bainbridge Township; Ohio Sen. John Eklund, R-Munson Township; Ohio Sen. Kenny Yuko, D-Richmond Heights; Ohio Rep. John Rogers, D-Mentor-on-the-Lake; Ohio Rep. Ron Young, R-Leroy Township; Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy (a Democrat); and Dustin Russell, Northeast regional liaison for Gov. John Kasich’s office.
“It’s time we declare war on this,” Joyce said, referring to the opioid epidemic.
More than 64,000 people died of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2016. That’s more U.S. citizens than were killed during the entire Vietnam War. Of those 64,000 deaths, more than 42,000 were opioid-related.
Joyce said he’s glad President Trump declared it a national health emergency in October. He also reference a letter he sent to the president with Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Niles, and 46 other
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bipartisan co-sponsors asking for more funding to fight the problem, something “we do whenever there’s a natural emergency,” he said. Money is given after hurricanes and wildfires. The epidemic killing people every day should be addressed the same way he said.
“We have to attack it at its source and eliminate it so we make sure we put an end to it once and for all,” he said.
Eklund said he’s sponsored a few bills in Columbus that he admits “aren’t sexy things,” but are “more in the nuts and bolts of how these pharmaceuticals are distributed and maintained and how those who are responsible for that process are held accountable.”
He referred to those as the “backroom aspect” of the epidemic — something he said he will continue to work on — and added those can be addressed without a significant amount of money.
While we’re dealing with the crisis, Eklund said more than fentanyl, opiates and pharmaceutical drugs need to be addressed.
“As we work through this problem, let’s focus on the things that lead to a young person — or an older person or a senior citizen like me — taking that first dose of poison,” he said. “What takes the soul away from someone that leads them down a path?”
Yuko, the Ohio Senate minority leader, discussed a bill he introduced with Sen. Joe Schiavoni, D-Boardman, in May of last year. Under their proposal, $200 million would be directed from the state’s $2 billion Rainy Day Fund to provide targeted assistance for addiction treatment and prevention efforts.
Of that money, $100 million would go toward local government funding and $100 million would go toward treatment infrastructure.
“We need (treatment) beds,” Yuko said. “We can’t just keep talking about it, we need beds. We need to get these people help.”
Rogers lauded the efforts of a local organization helping people get treatment.
“We as a nation have to look at it not just as a crime, but as a disease that needs to be treated,” he said. “Look no further than Lake-Geauga Recovery Centers. They have three facilities in Lake County and their success rate is tremendous and their recidivism rate is low.”
Rogers said those are the types of organizations that need to be emulated and supported to address the epidemic.
Young said the crisis is not going to be solved by money alone.
“The problem is in the heart,” Young said. “I believe it’s a spiritual problem to a point. So you have to work on the whole man.”
He said community- and faith-based initiatives have seen successes.
“To address this problem, we need to turn to two of the most powerful organizations in our culture, and that’s the church and that’s community.”
Troy, who is serving this year as president of County Commissioners Association of Ohio, said the opioid epidemic has been devastating to county budgets. It also has had an impact on what he called the two most vulnerable populations: children and seniors.
“The real answer here is somehow we have to end the demand,” Troy said. “As long as there is demand for those substances, we are going to continue to have problems.”
Russell said the state has reduced the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed by 20 percent and doctor shopping has decreased nearly 80 percent and Kasich’s administration recently announced tighter rules for distributors.
“We are making progress on the drug epidemic,” Russell said.
“This has been talked about with good, wellmeaning hearts throughout the morning. I want to thank you for the comments that have been made.”