Overdose deaths decline for 2nd straight year in Clermont County

Batavis, Ohio – Deaths due to drug overdoses declined for the second straight year in Clermont County, according to the Clermont County Coroner’s Office.

In 2017 76 deaths were caused by accidental drug overdoses.

In 2017, the Coroner’s Office, under the direction of Dr. Brian Treon, ruled that 76 deaths were caused by accidental drug overdoses. This compared to 83 in 2016, and 94 in 2015 – the highest number since Clermont County began to see the effects of increased opioid use in the late 2000s.

“We are encouraged by these numbers,” said Karen Scherra, the director of the Clermont County Mental Health & Recovery Board (MHRB). “These numbers indicate that the comprehensive measures we as a county have taken to address this issue are working.” The MHRB, the county hub in the fight against opioid addiction, is the lead organization in Clermont County’s Opiate Task Force, a collaborative that began in 2013 to address the opioid crisis in the county.

In 2017, more medication-assisted treatment and other kinds of treatment became available to more people suffering from substance abuse disorder, Scherra said. In 2017, MHRB spent over $1.9 million on addiction treatment services.

Other advances in 2017 included more Quick Response Teams.

Other advances in 2017 included more Quick Response Teams, which go to the homes of those who have survived overdoses to connect them to recovery resources; and more police/fire/EMS departments carrying Narcan, which can reverse overdoses.

In addition, a long-term recovery home for men was opened in 2017 in Clermont County. MHRB is now working on funding to open a similar home for women. Clermont County also opened a women’s wing in the Community Alternative Sentencing Center. This jail alternative connects clients with multiple treatment options.

Funding for these initiatives are provided through a combination of MHRB levy funds, federal and state grants.

“In response to the rise in drug overdose deaths, we created an Overdose Death Review Committee in 2014,” said Public Health Commissioner Julianne Nesbit.

Clermont County Public Health, a member of the Opiate Task Force, is also on the forefront of the opioid battle. “In response to the rise in drug overdose deaths, we created an Overdose Death Review Committee in 2014,” said Public Health Commissioner Julianne Nesbit. “We look at aggregate level data to see if there are any trends that we can address to help reduce future deaths in the community.

“Since we first saw the increase in drug overdose deaths, we have had a full-time Injury Prevention Coordinator who works to educate the community and work with our partners on the drug epidemic.”

In March, Hamilton County reported that overdose deaths for 2017 had increased 31 percent over the previous year to 529. Butler County reported a 20% increase to 232.

More information on Clermont County’s Opiate Task Force can be found on its website, www.getcleannowClermont.org.

For more information, contact MHRB Executive Director Karen Scherra, [email protected], 513.732.5407.