Over the last week, journalists from the Columbus Dispatch, Newark Advocate, Marion Star, and WBNS-10TV met with over 200 community members in Columbus, Marion, and Newark to discuss the causes and possible solutions to the addiction crisis.
In our past events, we’ve asked people how they’re experiencing the opioid epidemic. But we repeatedly heard the problem is much broader: Ohio isn’t just struggling with opioids, but addiction in general.
Columbus
Our first discussion in Columbus brought together about 55 community members, all with different connections to the addiction crisis. This included people in recovery, families of loved ones, public officials, and medical professionals. Many attendees wanted to see local journalists highlight people in recovery, and share what has helped them deal with addiction. Others had the chance to learn about new local efforts to combat the crisis, like a charter school for students in recovery, support programs for parents, and efforts to decriminalize certain drug-possession offenses.
Marion
The next day in Marion, people in recovery had the opportunity to directly share their experiences with community officials. One attendee, Catina Pitzen, said she hoped that by stepping up and sharing her story, others would be more willing to speak out and ask for help. She told the Marion Star, “Recovery doesn’t have a face or a name. It looks like anybody and everybody.”
A few refrains emerged throughout the evening, like how addiction impacts people across all demographics. Community members also discussed the need for immediate and readily accessible treatment and detox, noting that even if people want help, the facilities aren’t there or don’t have the capacity. They also wanted journalists to showcase faith-based programs available in the area and help identify grants that are available to help community members who can’t afford treatment or aren’t covered by insurance.
Newark
At our final gathering in Newark, many mental health professions and elected officials joined the conversation to talk about how addiction is impacting Licking County. Like in Marion, attendees agreed that addiction affects every demographic in society, and nobody is exempt. People also touched on an idea we’ve heard in a few other discussions: people in their community need better coping skills to prevent them from turning to substances. To address this, attendees suggested providing better coping skills and mental health education in schools, starting in kindergarten.
What do you want to know about addiction?
If you weren’t able to attend these events but have unanswered questions about addiction, let us know on our questions page! Reporters will dig deeper into the questions with the most votes, and we’ll share what we find on our site, in our weekly newsletter, and among all Your Voice Ohio news partners.If you’re wondering what solutions are working in other communities to confront opioids and addiction, check out our solutions library. You can also view our list of community specific addiction and recovery resources. To follow our new research and research of our local media partners, sign up for our weekly news roundup.
