HPIO forum to address opiate abuse, tobacco use

The Health Policy Institute is hosting a forum Sept. 26 titled “Addressing Addiction: Policy Prescriptions to Prevent Opiate Abuse and Tobacco Use.”

Given that drug overdoses, cancer and heart disease are leading causes of death in Ohio, addictions to opiates and nicotine are two of the greatest challenges to health and well-being in the state. This forum will explore addiction across the life course and identify evidence-based policy options to reduce opiate and tobacco use, including examples of effective strategies from other states.

Speakers include Leighton Ku of George Washington University, Donovan Maust of University of Michigan and Micah Berman of the Ohio State University.  

According to the 2017 Health Value Dashboard, Ohio ranks 46 out of 50 states and the District of Columbia on health value. This means that Ohioans are living less healthy lives and spending more on health care than people in most other states. Tobacco use and opioid abuse are two areas that were identified in the Dashboard as among the greatest health challenges facing Ohio