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(COLUMBUS, Ohio) -- Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine today announced
the formation of a new task force to address issues regarding the real-time reporting of drug overdose deaths in Ohio.
The Overdose Prevention Task Force, which held its first meeting
this morning, is chaired by Montgomery County Coroner and Ohio State Coroners
Association Chief Forensic Officer Kent Harshbarger, M.D.
Attorney General DeWine formed the task force after efforts by his
office to gather up-to-date statewide statistics on heroin overdose deaths
revealed that Ohio lacks a standard protocol for classifying drug overdose
fatalities. There is also no method in place to publicly report
overdose deaths in real time.
"It is critical that law enforcement, policy
makers, and members of the public have up-to-date access to data regarding drug
overdose trends so that we can address these problems as they are
happening," said Attorney General DeWine. "We have a very
diverse group of representatives on this task force who will look at what needs
to happen to allow uniform data to be readily available."
Statistics gathered by the Attorney General's Office from coroner's
offices in Ohio revealed that heroin killed 910 people in 2013,
however, because tracking and classification methods vary across the state, the
actual number of 2013 heroin overdose deaths is believed to exceed 1,000 lives
lost. Other than this data, the most recent public statewide data
regarding opiate overdose deaths is in regards to fatalities that occurred in
2012.
“I am honored to be a part of this effort to improve upon the already
unique and professional death investigation system in the State of Ohio as it
relates to heroin overdose deaths," said Dr. Harshbarger. "The
Coroners Association is looking forward to working in partnership with public
health and the others on the assembled team as real-time data collection allows
for emerging trends to be better understood. Also, I am personally
grateful for the support offered by Attorney General DeWine in this and other
initiatives to improve death investigations.”
In addition to Dr. Harshbarger, the 15-member task force also includes
the following representatives from the Ohio State Coroners Association, Ohio
Department of Health, Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police, Buckeye State
Sheriffs Association, Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, and Ohio Attorney
General's Office:
- David
Applegate, M.D., Union County Coroner
- Christie
Beeghly, Ohio Department of Health
- Jennifer
Biddinger, Ohio Attorney General's Office
- Tedd
Frazier, Jackson County Sheriff
- Jonathan
Fulkerson, Ohio Attorney General's Office
- William
Goslee, Logan County Prosecutor
- Joseph
Morbitzer, Westerville Police Chief
- Morris
Murray, Defiance County Prosecutor
- Judy Nagy,
Ohio Department of Health
- John
Paulson, Ohio Department of Health
- Stewart
Ryckman, M.D., Richland County Coroner
- James
Sabin, Madison County Sheriff
- Kevin
Sharrett, M.D., Greene County Coroner
- Brandon
Standley, Bellefontaine Police Department
Following their discussions, members of
the task force will issue their recommendations for
strengthening current overdose death classification and tracking procedures.
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