Behavioral Health
Article

Data shows drop in unintentional drug overdose deaths in 2018

January 21, 2020
Read time:
Download Fact Sheets
Register now
Share this resource
Subscribe to our Newsletter
By subscribing you agree to with our Privacy Policy.
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download this as a PDF

Drug overdose deaths in Ohio declined in 2018 to a three-year low of 3,764. This comes after a year (2017) where the state saw its highest ever number (4,854) of overdose deaths. This updated information was released by the Ohio Department of Health in early December, much later in the year than it has traditionally been released. Evidence that the drug overdose rate declined in 2018 has been reported nationally. Some troubling national trends appear to also be reflected in Ohio’s recent data. Data about drug overdose deaths is presented in several ways, one way it’s organized is by the type of drug involved in the death. Each drug category is a duplicated count, because deaths often involve multiple drugs. Across all drug categories, the only one that saw an increase was psychostimulants including drugs like methamphetamines or meth. This means that these types of drugs were involved in more deaths than in 2017. The increasing use of meth has been identified as concerning in national, state and local reports.

 Opioids, which include illicit fentanyl, heroin and prescription opioids, are involved with nearly 84 percent of deaths.

Overall, opioids continue to play a profound role in drug overdose deaths. Of the total drug overdose deaths, opioids, which include illicit fentanyl, heroin and prescription opioids, are involved with nearly 84 percent of deaths. And it is still quite shocking how this has all evolved over a relatively short period of time.

Unintentional Drug Overdose Deaths in Ohio, 2001-2018

Source: Ohio Department of Health

 Community Solutions will continue to examine this data, particularly looking at how the data is broken down by race and sex.

The only certainty is that it’s too soon to tell whether the 2018 decline in deaths is a trend. News stories from around the State of Ohio have indicated that deaths may have ticked back up in 2019. And drug overdose deaths actually rose in 2018 in Franklin and Lucas counties, as well as in a few other counties with much smaller populations. Community Solutions will continue to examine this data, particularly looking at how the data is broken down by race and sex. Beginning in 2016 and 2017, Black men accounted for a larger share of drug overdose deaths and this trend continued in 2018. Putting this information into context with research about the intersection of economic conditions, opioid overdoses and Medicaid expansion and a reduction in opioid overdose deaths are other topics that we plan to dig into further.

Download Fact Sheets

District 10

Download

All Council Districts 2024

Download

District 4

Download

District 2

Download

District 11

Download

District 9

Download

District 8

Download

District 5

Download

District 7

Download

District 1

Download

District 3

Download

District 6

Download

West Boulevard

Download

University

Download

Union-Miles

Download

Tremont

Download

Stockyards

Download

St.Clair-Superior

Download

Old Brooklyn

Download

Ohio City

Download

North Shore Collinwood

Download

Mount Pleasant

Download

Lee-Seville

Download

Lee-Harvard

Download

Kinsman

Download

Kamm's Corners

Download

Jefferson

Download

Goodrich-Kirtland Park

Download

Glenville

Download

Fairfax

Download

Euclid-Green

Download

Edgewater

Download

Downtown

Download

Detroit Shoreway

Download

Cudell

Download

Collinwood-Nottingham

Download

Clark-Fulton

Download

Central

Download

Buckeye-Woodhill

Download

Buckeye-Shaker Square

Download

Brooklyn Centre

Download

Broadway-Slavic Village

Download

Bellaire-Puritas

Download

All Neighborhoods 2024

Download

West Boulevard Factsheet

Download

University Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Union-Miles Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Tremont Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Stockyards Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

St. Clair-Superior Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Old Brooklyn Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Ohio City Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

North Shore Collinwood Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Lee-Seville Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Lee-Harvard Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Kinsman Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Kamm's Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Jefferson Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Hough Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Hopkins Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Goodrich-Kirtland Park Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Glenville Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Fairfax Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Euclid-Green Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Edgewater Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Downtown Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Detroit Shoreway Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Cuyahoga Valley Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Cudell Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Collinwood-Nottingham Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Clark-Fulton Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Central Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Buckeye-Shaker Square Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Brooklyn Centre Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Broadway-Slavic Village Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

Bellaire-Puritas Neighborhood Factsheet

Download

All Neighborhoods 2016

Download

District 2

Download

District 1

Download

Ohio Women Statewide

Download

All Women Fact Sheets

Download

Wyandot Women

Download

Wood Women

Download

Williams Women

Download

Wayne Women

Download

Washington Women

Download

Warren Women

Download

Vinton Women

Download

Van Wert Women

Download

Union Women

Download

Tuscarawas Women

Download

Trumbell Women

Download

Summit Women

Download

Stark Women

Download

Shelby Women

Download

Seneca Women

Download

Scioto Women

Download

Sandusky Women

Download
Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Download report

Subscribe to our newsletter

5 Things you need to know arrives on Mondays with the latest articles, events, and advocacy developments in Ohio

Explore the fact sheets

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique.

No Related Fact Sheets

Explore Topics

Browse articles, research, and testimony.

Poverty & Safety Net
Article

Sixty-one health and human service levies appear on ballots across Ohio

Kyle Thompson
October 21, 2024
Medicaid
Article

Setting the Medicaid Growth Rate

Brandy Davis
October 21, 2024
Poverty & Safety Net
Article

Staying nonpartisan when everyone is talking about the upcoming election

Emily Campbell
October 21, 2024
Older Adults
Article

Council on Older Persons (COOP): Older adults ensure strong neighborhoods

Community Solutions Team
October 17, 2024