'Many people do achieve recovery': Portage recognizes Ohio Overdose Awareness Day

Portage County is joining other communities statewide today in an effort to continue the fight against drug addiction while also remembering those lost to the epidemic.

The theme of this year's Ohio Overdose Awareness Day is "Everyone Knows Someone. Overdoses Impact Us All."

According to a recent study, nearly 4,000 Ohioans died of an overdose in a single year. Fentanyl was involved in over 70% of those deaths. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that’s 80 to 100 times deadlier than morphine. A dose of just a few milligrams of it can be fatal.

Fentanyl has found its way into Ohio’s drug supply and is being mixed in with other street drugs, experts say. Because drugs laced with fentanyl don’t look any different, many people who died of an overdose may not have known they were taking fentanyl.

Since 2000, more than 40 people in Portage County have died from accidental drug overdoses, with fentanyl being the leading cause, according to the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County.

“Sadly, this year, we appear to be on the same track, with fentanyl being mixed into other substances such as methamphetamines and cocaine,” said John Garrity, PhD, executive director of the Mental Health and Recovery Board of Portage County.

In recent years, there's been a push to make naloxone more widely available to reverse opioid overdoses and save lives.

Naloxone is available in Portage County at no charge through Project DAWN at the Portage County Health District (330-296-9919), Townhall II (330-678-3006) and a few other locations.

Studies have shown that the availability of naloxone does not stop people in active addiction from seeking treatment. For many people, the experience of surviving an overdose pushes them toward treatment, according to the mental health and recovery board. 

Treatment resources and support information also are provided at naloxone distribution locations.

It's also important for people to call 911 immediately when they witness an overdose. Sometimes people are afraid they’ll be arrested when police arrive, but Ohio has a Good Samaritan Law that grants levels of immunity for people who call 911 during an overdose.

Despite all these challenges, there is hope.

“Treatment does work, and many people do achieve recovery,” Garrity said.

“We have many people going through the variety of treatment programs here in Portage County, including withdrawal management (detox), medication-assisted treatment, residential treatment, intensive outpatient programs, counseling, peer recovery support, and other programs and getting their lives back on track.”

For information on local resources, contact the Portage Addiction Helpline at 330-678-3006.