Insights on addiction and geography

Every Ohioan should have access to the services and supports needed to prevent and overcome addiction. Ohio has made an effort to treat substance use disorder as a chronic disease and increase access to treatment services. However, addiction-related harms remain a concern across the state and there are clear regional disparities in economic conditions and access to life-saving services that exacerbate those harms. Going forward, Ohio can do more to ensure that where someone lives does not increase the likelihood they will die of a drug overdose.

This fact sheet, released in conjunction with the HPIO policy brief Taking Action to Strengthen Ohio’s Addiction Response, presents information about differences in downstream addiction-related harms, and the factors driving those differences, across Ohio communities based on region and county type.

The HPIO Addiction Evidence Project

What's included

The HPIO Addiction Evidence Project provides state policymakers and other stakeholders with tools to:

• Quickly find existing information about what works to address addiction
• Review addiction policy changes enacted in Ohio
• Assess the extent to which new policies align with existing standards and evidence
• Identify areas where Ohio policy can be better aligned with standards and evidence, including potential gaps in Ohio’s response to the addiction crisis

More resources

• Addiction Evidence Project
• HPIO addiction work