On the Job 

At least 1,000 public safety officials gathered Jan. 21 for the Ohio Attorney General’s “Ideas That Work: Fighting the Drug Epidemic in Ohio” emergency meeting at the Mount Hermon Missionary Baptist Church in Columbus.

Attorney General Mike DeWine called the meeting to discuss how to fight the state’s opiate epidemic. Unintentional drug overdoses caused the deaths of 2,482 Ohio residents in 2014, according to preliminary data from the Ohio Department of Health. This is the highest number of deaths on record from drug overdose and reflects a 17.6 percent increase compared with 2013, when there were 2,110 drug overdose deaths.

 “This is the worst epidemic in my lifetime,” DeWine said. “It is in every single county, every economic group, every race. It cuts across all income levels. It is everywhere.”

The meeting, organized by the Attorney General’s Heroin Unit, highlighted ideas from throughout the state.

“If you can leave here with a few ideas that you can go out and use right away, that is our goal,” DeWine said.

Here are a few items of note from each panel discussion:

Naloxone

• The overdose-reversal drug naloxone is about $30 to $40 a dose, a $6 per dose rebate is available. Visit www. OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/NaloxoneRebate.
• Law enforcement can order naloxone through the Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Service’s Pharmacy Service Center. Call 614-752-0110.
• The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) can create a map based on naloxone administration to identify hot spots in a given area. Contact Scott Duff, special agent supervisor at BCI, at 614-875-5296 or Scott.Duff@OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov.

Addiction in Jails

• Many jails are providing medication-assisted treatment, such as Vivitrol, and other services for inmates leaving the jail.
• A Medicaid provision allows jails to bill Medicaid when an eligible inmate is taken to a hospital or medical facility for more than 24 hours..
• Some jails are providing information to inmates about treatment options and linking them with resources in the community upon their release.

BCI Crime Scene Training

• An overdose scene should be treated as a crime scene so drug dealers can be charged with manslaughter.
• BCI agents from the Crime Scene and Cyber Crimes units offer a training course on crime scene processing through OPOTA.
• The most important piece of evidence at the scene of an overdose is the drug packaging, which should be preserved for DNA collection.
• Cellphones at the scene could carry physical or digital forensic evidence. When handling cellphones, wear protective gear to keep from contaminating the devices. BCI can help extract data.

Drug Trafficking

• The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement (OCDETF) Task Force for the Southern District of Ohio is interested in cases with connections to drug cartels or regional gangs, or that have an interstate connection. 
• Once a case gets OCDETF approval, funds are made available for travel, overtime and other expenses.
• I-70, I-75, I-80 and U.S. 23 are the main routes for drugs in Ohio. Heroin and cocaine are sometimes coming in on commercial vehicles commingled with legitimate goods. Criminals are buying or renting cars and paying unsuspecting drivers to haul the cars, which are loaded with drugs, to a location.

Task Force Update

• Operation Street Smart in Franklin County provides information on drug trends, terminology and paraphernalia for educators and others who work with children.
• Collaboration and cooperation are imperative to fight the drug epidemic.
• Small agencies and larger agencies have success when they join forces.

Wraparound Services

• In Lucas County, the Attorney General’s Office connected with the sheriff’s and prosecutor’s offices and the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board to establish the Drug Abuse Response Team (DART). DART officers and victim advocates intervene in situations involving opiate overdoses. Upon contact, the team provides an overdose survivor with information on recovery and mental-health resources.
• Family members of an overdose victim are eager for information. First responders should create or copy a resource packet to hand out at every overdose run or on any run in which there is discussion of drug use.

Use of Online Tools — OARRS (Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System)

• OARRS is an online tool to track prescriptions for controlled substances dispensed by pharmacies and prescribers in Ohio. It’s available at www.OhioPMP.gov.
• Law enforcement officers can register with OARRS and have access to reports.
• The information is available in less than a minute. The files go back three years.
• OARRS training is available on eOPOTA.

Community Solutions

• The Ohio Attorney General’s Office has an outreach team available to help communities coordinate efforts to fight the drug epidemic. For information, visit www. OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/DrugAbuse.

For a complete list of presenters, or to see supporting documents from the meeting, visit www.OhioAttorneyGeneral.gov/DrugAbuse.