Displaying items by tag: opioid

Less than one week after a 19-month-old Akron boy overdosed on opioids in his home, and then eventually died as a result, Akron Police are investigating another child overdose. 

The latest happened Tuesday night. Akron Police Lt. Rick Edwards says officers responded to Akron Children's Hospital where the boy was taken by his mother. He was given NARCAN at the hospital and revived. Last check he was in stable condiiton at the hospital. 

Lt. Edwards says the boy's mother told them she left her son with her 5-year-old and 7-year-old daughters outside for just a moment. When she came back outside, the mother noticed her son was stumbling and acting funny. It was when the boy started going in and out of consciousness that she drove him to Akron Children's ER. 

No charges have been filed in the case, but while the investigation is ongoing, all three children have been placed in the custody of Summit County Children's Services. Lt. Edwards tells 1590 WAKR that this is a safety precaution as the investigation continues. 

The Summit County ADM Board is ramping up efforts to battle drug addiction and abuse in and around Summit County. 

Part of that effort is a new Addiction hotline they will be unveiling Tuesday, January 17th. The local number will be operational Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Any calls made after hours will go to the ADM Crisis Hotline that will remain operational. 

Dr. Jerry Craig, ADM Board Executive Director, says the new hotline is not exclusive to opioid addiction. "Irrespective of the problem, we want to make sure that people have access to the most available treatment options," Craig says, whether that's treatment for drug, alcohol, or even gambling addiction. 

The number to the new ADM Addiction Help Line is 330-940-1133. Again, the ADM Crisis Hotline will continue to operate 24/7, but specific calls to this new hotline will be expedited and triaged to the most current and available resources regardless of patient needs. 

See the full press release from the Summit County ADM Board below. 

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ADM Addiction Help Line Opens Tuesday, 1.17.17

The ADM Addiction Help Line launches on Tuesday, January 17, 2017, as a new service to assist individuals who are looking to recover from an addiction to alcohol, drugs or gambling. Callers will be asked a few questions to assist the Help Line staff in determining which local treatment providers could meet their needs. They will be provided with information about treatment options available to them based on their individual circumstances. Once the caller knows their options, they can choose the local agency where they would like to begin treatment. The Addiction Help Line staff will then connect the caller to the selected treatment agency to make a warm hand-off and to schedule the initial appointment. The ADM Board is contracting with the Akron Summit Community Action, Inc. for this new service. The Help Line number is 330-940-1133 and the hours of operation will be Monday through Friday from 8:30am – 4:00pm. The ADM Crisis Center will continue to be available on a 24 /7 basis to provide detoxification and drop-in services and treatment readiness groups. “Akron Summit Community Action, Inc. is pleased to partner with ADM on an Addiction Help Line”, stated Malcolm J. Costa, President & CEO of Akron Summit Community Action, Inc. “Calling the addiction helpline may be an act of courage; sometimes taking strength to admit you have a problem,” stated Costa. “We recognize the importance of getting people the help they need in a timely manner when they are ready to start their recovery. The ADM Addiction Help Line will fast track making the connection between those seeking addiction services and local treatment providers. By calling the Help Line, those seeking addiction services will choose from the most available agencies and have the convenience of being connected to their selected provider to get the process started”, adds Jerry Craig, ADM Board Executive Director.  

Summit County officials estimate that 2016 was a record-setting year for the number of drug overdose deaths in the county. 

Tests are still being conducted, and won't be completed until Spring, 2017, but officials estimate the total number of overdose deaths is somewhere between 225 and 250 for 2016. That would be an 11.3% increase over 2015, according to officials. 

Dr. Margo Erme with Summit County Public Health says, while the numbers are not surprising, there needs to be concentrated effort from health officials, law enforcement, and the public. "There is no one solution," Erme says. "We did not get to the situation overnight and it's multifactorial as to how we got here, so there is not going to be a single fix. 

Dr. Erme notes the number of visits to Summit County emergency departments that were attributed to drug overdoses was about 2,423. She says that has a lot to do with the prevalence of more deadly drugs, including fentanyl and carfental.