Huron County among top 10 in overdose deaths

NORWALK — Huron County ranked in the top 10 among Ohio counties with the highest rates of overdose deaths over a three-month period during the pandemic. In April through June of 2020, the most recent data available, Huron County ranked seventh in most overdose deaths, according to an Ohio attorney general task force. This is how the top 10 counties ranked, calculated in deaths per 100,000 people, a formula used to compare rates of death in counties with differing population sizes: • 1: Scioto (2010 population, 79,499) 35.22 deaths • 2: Fayette (2010 pop, 29,030) 20.67 deaths • 3: Franklin (2010 pop, 1,316,756) 19.43 deaths • 4: Gallia (2010 pop, 30,934) 19.40 deaths • 5: Ross (2010 pop, 78,064) 19.22 deaths • 6: Trumbull (2010 pop, 210,312) 17.12 deaths • 7: Huron (2010 pop, 59,626) 16.77 deaths • 8: Clark (2010 pop, 138,333) 16.63 deaths • 9: Montgomery (2010 pop, 535,153) 16.07 deaths •10: Mahoning (2010 pop, 238,823) 15.49 deaths The overdose death rate statewide during the same time frame, per 100,000 people, was 11.01, which is the highest rate Ohio has seen in the past decade. It surpassed the state's previous peak, at 10.87 in 2017, which was then followed by a significant drop-off before again rising to its current record level — something Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost called "alarming." "Opioid overdoses might have taken a backseat in our minds last year because of COVID-19, but make no mistake: Ohioans are dying at a devastating rate because of opioid overdoses," Yost said. When the attorney general's office called Huron County Sheriff Todd Corbin last week to let him know how the county ranked, the sheriff said he wasn't surprised. "It doesn't come as any surprise when you have people in self-quarantine being at home by themselves," Corbin said. Because people are quarantining alone, when someone overdoses, they are usually not discovered in time to save their life, he said. "People are isolated. By the time we come across them it's too late," Corbin said. The sheriff said his agency is also seeing an increase in methamphetamine overdoses in addition to heroin and opiate overdoses. The sheriff's office said they hope to crack down on drug activity to "curb some of that behavior." Health experts often link addiction and mental illness, and Corbin said inmates in his jail with serious mental illness have had difficulty getting access to proper care during the pandemic. Kristen Cardone, director of Huron County's Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services, said 12 people died of overdoses in Huron County during the three-month time span and one other person died of an overdose in the latter half of 2020. Cardone said the county mental health and recovery board offers a number of addiction resources, including: •"Peer Recovery Support Services provided by Let's Get Real, including a walk-in peer center, Warm Handoff Services in partnership with local hospitals, specialty docket support, 24/7 on-call peer services to the Norwalk Police Department, Huron County Sheriff's Office, and Willard Police Department, ongoing peer support services, and support group meetings. Let's Get Real also serves as the county's only Project Dawn location, allowing for increased access and distribution of Naloxone throughout the community." •"Treatment and Medication Assisted Treatment services are available through Family Life Counseling & Psychiatric Services, Firelands Counseling & Recovery Services, and Oriana House, Inc. All three treatment providers offer Recovery Navigator services which benefit the community by offering a single point of contact for persons with Opioid Use Disorders and Stimulant Use Disorders. Funding is accessed by the Recovery Navigators to contribute to an individual's sustainable and successful recovery through the implementation of contingency management and to address barriers by increasing access to transportation." • "Resource bags are available for all organizations and members of the community. The resource bags include information regarding all of our local service providers and educational information regarding MAT and Naloxone." •"A free mobile app is available for download at Google Play and the App Store for use by all Huron County residents. The Huron County Wellness App is a one stop shop for local mental health, substance use and wellness resources." •"The Quick Response Team is a collaboration between the Huron County Sheriff's Department, Norwalk Police Department, Willard Police Department, Monroeville Police Department, New London Police Department, Firelands Counseling and Recovery Services, Family Life Counseling, Oriana House, Let's Get Real, Certified Peer Supporters, and the Huron County Board of Mental Health and Addiction Services. A team of professionals visits the home of individuals who have recently overdosed, providing support and resources. Follow up phone calls and visits are made to individuals offering ongoing support." Coming soon: Mental health treatment amid a pandemic