Drug overdose deaths continue to climb in Ohio

The Ohio Department of Health reported this week that a record 2,482 Ohioans died from drug overdoses last year, an increase of 17.6 percent from 2013 (Source: “Ohio sees alarming jump in drug overdose deaths,” Columbus Dispatch, Sept. 24, 2015).

According to the new ODH report, drug overdoses deaths continue to be the leading cause of injury-related deaths in the state, ahead of motor vehicle accidents. Since 2002 more than 12,000 people in Ohio have died from drug overdoses and the annual rate has nearly quadrupled.

“At the same time we are experiencing positive progress in our fight against drug addiction,” said Mark Hurst, medical director of the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services. “We are also seeing some individuals begin to use more-dangerous drugs to achieve more intense effects.”

Overdose deaths in the state’s two largest counties, Franklin and Cuyahoga, dropped slightly last year. Franklin County recorded 193 deaths compared to 197 the previous year, while Cuyahoga reported 254 fatalities, down from 255. Other areas more than made up with difference, with deaths significantly increasing in Montgomery, Butler, Hamilton, Lucas and Summit counties.