The opiate crisis has evolved, snaring our state in a deadly progression from prescription pills to heroin. It’s a familiar pattern with gruesome consequences. And it’s playing out in many states, including Ohio.
I have been working with many Ohio families devastated by our state’s heroin epidemic, and if I could somehow change the reason for our encounters, I would.
Attorney General Mike DeWine’s new Heroin Unit provides Ohio communities with law enforcement, legal, and outreach assistance to combat the state’s escalating opiate problem.
Ohio’s opiate problem has many dimensions, and solving it will require many components: law enforcement, courts, treatment options, education, community services, support networks, and more.
The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy will offer law enforcement a new course — The Heroin Epidemic: Recognition and Investigation — in February and March.
Bev Flowers: Her recovery was worth fighting for “Recovery is always possible.” Those are the words of Bev Flowers, who knows the road back from opiate addiction.
Jennifer Biddinger joined the Attorney General’s Office in late 2011 to support Ohioans determined to fight drugs in their communities. Demand for the assistance continues to grow, leading to plans to expand outreach capabilities.
Attorney General’s Office
Attorney General Mike DeWine is implementing several recommendations to enhance the security and usability of the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway (OHLEG), already considered one of best statewide law enforcement information systems in the nation.
1. Hopper Act requires reporting of mental health information Ohio’s new Deputy Suzanne Hopper Act requires that courts report certain mental health information to law enforcement for inclusion in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC).