Ohio drug deaths up 39 percent, third highest in nation

Ohio’s drug overdose deaths rose 39 percent — the third-largest increase among the states — between mid-2016 and mid-2017, according to new federal figures (Source: “Ohio drug overdose deaths up 39% -- nearly triple US average,” Columbus Dispatch, Feb. 12, 2018).

The state’s opioid crisis continued to explode in the first half of last year, with 5,232 Ohio overdose deaths recorded in the 12 months ending June 31, 2017, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

The death toll increased by 1,469 or 39 percent, which trailed only the 43.4-percent hike in Pennsylvania and 39.4-percent increase recorded in Florida. Ohio’s total number of dead also only fell behind Florida (5,540) and Pennsylvania (5,443).

The escalation of drug deaths in Ohio was nearly three times the 14.4-percent increase in deaths nationally, which grew to 66,972 across the U.S., according to provisional numbers.