Franklin County And Columbus Public Health Plan To Distribute Drug Deactivation Bags

Kentucky's attorney general has filed a lawsuit against Dublin-based Cardinal Health, which has been linked to an opioid pipeline. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Ohio’s drug overdose death rate rose 39 percent between mid-2016 and mid-2017 — the third-largest increase of any state.

The opioid epidemic has cost the U.S. more than a trillion dollars since 2001, according to a new study, and may exceed another $500 billion over the next three years.

More than three months after President Trump declared the nation's opioid crisis a public health emergency, activists and health care providers say they're still waiting for some other action.

The Trump administration quietly renewed the declaration recently. But it has given no signs it's developing a comprehensive strategy to address an epidemic that claims more than 115 lives every day. The president now says that to combat opioids, he's focused on enforcement, not treatment.

President Trump is promising a large ad campaign to try to stem opioid deaths, but Ohio has seen its tally increase even with such ads.

Ohio doctors have reached tentative agreement with the Kasich administration on a proposed rule requiring them to report the specific diagnosis of every patient who receives a prescription painkiller.

The Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County  has approved plans for a new drug detox and treatment center.

The Franklin County Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board is making free naloxone kits available to the families and friends of heroin addicts.

As deaths from opioid overdoses rise around the country, the city of Baltimore feels the weight of the epidemic.

"I see the impact every single day," says Leana Wen, the city health commissioner. "We have two people in our city dying from overdose every day."