News

The high school yearbook is a staple of teenage life. But for some, it reflects the devastating toll of the opioid crisis.

Our region has recognized the realities of the opioid epidemic, and that it spreads across the country, not just in our area. There has been a lot of discussion about overdose deaths and Naloxone. But how much discussion have you heard about the effects of the opioid epidemic on the children, adolescents, indeed, the family of the person who is caught up in the abuse of opioids?

Increasing population, opioid crisis to blame

Life expectancy, often considered to be a barometer for a nation's overall health, has dropped for the third year in a row in the United States, and it's primarily because of an increase in drug overdose deaths, alcohol abuse and suicide, a new study has found.

When Matthew Braun gets out of medical school, he'll be able to prescribe opioids. A decade ago, he was addicted to them. "The first time I ever used an opioid, I felt the most confident and powerful I'd ever felt," Braun says. "So I said, 'This is it. I want to do this the rest of my life.' "

A pain pill prescription for nerve damage revived Gwendolyn Barton’s long-dormant addiction last year, awakening fears she would slip back into smoking crack cocaine.

Ohio counties want to reunite families that were separated because of drug use. But prioritizing that ideal has had deadly consequences.

A dozen children died across Ohio between 2014 and 2018 from abuse or neglect after children who had been removed from their homes were returned to their parents or caregivers.