TOLEDO, Ohio — Groups in Lucas County met for the last time at the Mott Branch Library on Monday to summarize their findings to reduce opioid-related deaths by 40% over the course of three years.
The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) subcommittee of the Lucas County Opiate Coalition talked about the work that investigates and identifies the most effective evidence-based practices for preventing and treating opioid use disorder at the local level.
After the meeting, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department's mobile naloxone unit was on display to walk through which was implemented through HCS to increase naloxone distribution and linkage to medications for opioid use disorder.
The Lucas County Opiate Coalition has participated in the study since the beginning of 2020 and HCS Ohio's Community Facilitator, Jamie Luster, believes talking about the issue is necessary to help reach a solution.
"The staff at the health department attend all different community events just to spread the word about naloxone and decrease stigma," Luster said. "You know, this is a problem that touches a lot of people in our community and being able to discuss is the first step."
The National Institute of Health and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration launched the HCS, which has sites located in New York, Kentucky and Massachusetts.
Along with their goal of reducing opioid use by 40% over three years, the study promotes agencies and organizations to make an impact on the opiate problem in Lucas County.
These include the Toledo Fire & Rescue Department, Toledo Police Department, the Lucas County Sheriff's Drug Abuse Response Team (DART) and the Lucas County Adult Drug Court.
Mercy Health, Zepf Center, BrightView and Unison have worked with HCS to increase treatment capacity and reduce transportation barriers for people with opioid use disorder as well.
In addition, safer opioid dispensing practices were made possible with the help of University of Toledo physicians, TPD and St. Joseph Parish of Sylvania.
If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid addiction, the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department offers a mail-order naloxone program, regardless of ability to pay, located here.
Luster also says to visit the Mental Health Recovery services board website located here.