Ohio opioid overdose deaths hit highest rate in 10 years, task force reports

“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.

He noted that the analysis showed the spike began in April, shortly after Gov. Mike DeWine and former Ohio Department of Health Director Amy Acton issued a stay-at-home order in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The jump in opioid overdose deaths also came after the state had seen a drop in the death rate, which had fallen to six to eight deaths over the last two years.

“This is alarming data, and while COVID has rightly captured our attention, we cannot lose sight of the threat the opioid epidemic brings to all areas of Ohio,” Yost said.

Scioto County had the highest death rate during the record-setting spike in 2020, with 35.22 deaths per 100,000 people, according to SCOPE.

Clark and Montgomery counties were among the top 10 counties by death rate. Clark County was eighth with 16.63 deaths per 100,000 and Montgomery County was ninth with 16.07 deaths per 100,000.

The 10 counties with the highest opioid overdose death rate were:

Among Ohio’s 10 largest counties, Montgomery County had the second highest death rate and Butler County was sixth, reporting 13.58 deaths.

The death rate for all 10 of Ohio’s largest counties is the following:

If you suspect someone is overdosing, call 911. Anyone struggling with substance abuse addiction or who knows someone who needs help can call the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services’ toll-free help line at 877-275-6364, text 4hope to 741741 or visit www.recoveryisbeautiful.org.