One OH County Has Drug Addiction Rates 5 Times Higher Than National Average
Scioto County ranks as one of the highest in Ohio in terms of drug abuse, incidence of disease caused or related to drug abuse and addiction, drug-related crime, and a number of other drug-related issues, according to a new state epidemiological study.
Lisa Roberts is a Public Health Nurse with the Portsmouth Health Department of the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services. She says: “We have absolutely risen in the rankings, to the point that we now have the highest homicide rate in the State of Ohio. We have a hepatitis C rate that is five times the state average. We are number one in hepatitis B and we are currently number three accidental overdose deaths.”
These lists were generated from data taken in 2008, so Roberts is hopeful that changes made over the last couple of years will mean that future reports show a decline in these numbers.
Says Roberts: “There is evidence that distribution rates of pain pills exactly mirror death rates. We know that we’ve had a million less pain pills dispensed in the past year. Hopefully we will be able to see some trends overtime that allows Scioto Counties bad rankings to go down. It’s important for us to take a strong stance on this issue and fight our way out of this problem.”
In fact, the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) released a report saying that 10 percent fewer opiate painkillers were dispensed in Scioto County in the first half of last year, according to data taken from the State Board of Pharmacy and the State Epidemiological Outcomes Workgroup Scioto County.
How and why did those numbers change so drastically? With awareness came an understanding that something must be done. Soon, prevention workshops and other education measures were implemented, causing a number of medical professionals to shift their views and their practice in prescribing prescription painkillers to patients. Simple changes like limiting the number of pills in a given prescription, limiting or eliminating refills pending a checkup, and maintaining open and regular communication with patients to make sure they don’t “fall through the cracks” and develop an addiction are all ways that doctors can help mitigate the problem.
However, once prescription drug addiction has set in, it’s important that patients get immediate and comprehensive medical help. Contact us at Michael’s House today to learn more about our painkiller rehab programs and how they can help you avoid becoming a statistic.
