Ohio Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services

OhioMHAS NewsNow | Xylazine Classified as Controlled Substance...SAMHSA SERG Grant to Assist East Palestine...Director Criss Meets With Buckeye Ranch Leadership...Alcohol Awareness Month Resources...PAX RFA...In the News

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services sent this bulletin at 03/29/2023 04:23 PM EDT

Wednesday, March 29, 2023

Governor DeWine Authorizes Emergency Classification of Xylazine as Schedule III Controlled Substance

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed an executive order directing the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy to immediately classify xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance, making Ohio one of the first states in the nation to schedule xylazine as a controlled substance drug. Xylazine is a central nervous system depressant used in veterinary medicine as a sedative, anesthetic, and muscle relaxant. The substance, which is not approved for human consumption, has increasingly been found in the illicit drug supply in Ohio, frequently mixed with heroin, fentanyl, or new synthetic opioids (NSOs) such as nitazene.

"This lethal drug has dangerous side effects which can’t be reversed by naloxone, so there is no way to reverse its impact on people,” said Governor DeWine. “The rate of overdose deaths involving a mixture of xylazine and other drugs is increasing at an alarming rate, which is exactly why we need to take action now."

According to the Ohio Department of Health, overdose deaths involving xylazine have increased each year in Ohio since 2019, with 15 overdose deaths in 2019, 45 in 2020, and 75 in 2021. Although 2022 mortality data is not yet complete, the Ohio Department of Health recorded 113 xylazine-involved overdose deaths as of March 14, 2022. Of these 248 unintentional drug overdose deaths, 99.2 percent also involved fentanyl.

When used in combination with an opioid, xylazine may worsen respiratory depression in the event of a drug overdose. Human consumption of xylazine is also known to cause debilitating skin ulcers that cause tissue decay and bacterial infections, which can lead to amputation at higher rates than those who inject other drugs.

The emergency order was prompted by intelligence gathered as part of an early detection process developed by the Ohio Narcotics Intelligence Center (ONIC) in partnership with RecoveryOhio, the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, and local drug toxicologists and chemists.

Read the Governor's Full Announcement

Ohio Awarded $209,402 Supplemental Emergency Response Grant for Columbiana County Residents

The State of Ohio, through the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS), has been awarded a $209,402 federal Supplemental Emergency Response Grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to meet the immediate and ongoing behavioral health needs of the East Palestine community.

These funds will be used to minimize the long-term impact of the East Palestine train derailment and foster resilience by creating a positive environment and sense of belonging in the community and to expand and enhance Columbiana County’s crisis response system to ensure adequate and effective intervention in crisis or disaster situations.

Local certified professionals remain onsite at the East Palestine Mobile Health Clinic to assist anyone with immediate questions or concerns. In addition, any resident can call the Ohio CareLine at 1.800.720.9616 at any time of day for free, confidential, emotional support from a trained professional.

More East Palestine Updates

Director Criss Meets with Buckeye Ranch Leadership to Discuss Collaboration, Priorities

OhioMHAS Director Lori Criss visited today with leaders of The Buckeye Ranch and discussed state and local collaboration, workforce needs, and behavioral health priorities in the state budget.

Alcohol Awareness Month

April is Alcohol Awareness Month. Established in 1987 by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), this annual campaign encourages community organizations to host events that increase public awareness and educate people about the treatment and prevention of alcoholism. The month-long campaign kicks off with Alcohol-Free Weekend to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, businesses and communities. April 7 is National Alcohol Screening Day. Alcohol Awareness Month also encourages organizations and communities to reach out to the public with information about alcohol use and alcoholism as a preventable disease and encourages people who are already addicted to seek treatment.

NCADD has several helpful resources on its website. OhioMHAS, meanwhile, has messaging resources and screening tools on our Alcohol Misuse Campaign web page. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) underage drinking prevention campaign, ‘Talk. They Hear You,’ has talking points and tools for coalitions, parents and caregivers so they can start talking to their children early—as early as 9 years old—about the dangers of alcohol. In addition, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA) has several resources to help coalitions educate the community about the dangers of excessive and underage drinking and to help reduce alcohol outlet density:

RFA: SFY 23 PAX Ohio Initiative

The Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (OhioMHAS) has released a Request for Applications (RFA) for the purpose of soliciting applications to develop a mechanism for sustainability and ongoing consultation for PAX Partners. This will include a statewide assessment and evaluation of the current state of PAX Good Behavior Game and PAX Tools in Ohio around funding, implementation, challenges, successes, gaps and needs; developing a regional consultation model to support PAX Partners; expanding application of this model with various service systems and partnering with the Miami University School Based Center of Excellence to assist with developing the structure and ongoing support for schools by integrating the consultation model within the regional training and technical assistance network established for the Ohio Student Wellness Initiative. The deadline to apply is April 21 by 3:00 p.m.

View Funding Opportunity

NIMH Facebook Live: Bipolar Disorder in Adults — March 30

In recognition of World Bipolar Day, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is hosting a Facebook Live event on bipolar disorder in adults on March 30 from 1:00-1:30 p.m. During the event, NIMH experts Francis J. McMahon, M.D., chief of the Human Genetics Branch, and Kathleen R. Merikangas, Ph.D., chief of the Genetic Epidemiology Research Branch, will lead a discussion on the signs and symptoms, risk factors, treatments, and the latest NIMH-supported research in this area. Participants will have the opportunity to ask Drs. McMahon and Merikangas questions about bipolar disorder during the live event via the Facebook comments.

Join the Conversation

Diagnosing and Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder — April 21

Hopewell Health and the Lindner Center of HOPE will host Diagnosing and Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, the final seminar in series focused on OCD Essentials, on April 21 from 9:00 a.m.-noon in Mason. The in-person training will be led by Dr. Charles Brady, a nationally recognized board-certified clinical psychologist who worked as an associate professor at University of Cincinnati's Department of Psychiatry, served as the Director of the OCD and Anxiety Services program at Lindner, helped to launch OCD Mid-West, and was instrumental in developing the OCD treatment program at Hopewell. Cost is $30. For more information, please email Tim Bitting at tbitting@hopewell.cc.

Register

Study: Increased Use of Telehealth Services and Medications for Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic Associated with Reduced Risk for Fatal Overdose

The National Institute on Drug Abuse reported today that expanded availability of opioid use disorder-related telehealth services and medications during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a lowered likelihood of fatal drug overdose among Medicare beneficiaries, according to a new study.

View NIDA Press Announcement

Public Comment Sought: SAMHSA Peer Certification Standards

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is seeking public comment on its draft National Model Standards for Peer Support Certification. Comments will be accepted through 5:00 p.m. on April 10.

Submit Public Comment