In order to have communities guide our coverage on the opioid epidemic, we need to hear stories, perspectives, and ideas from people that are affected. In October 2017, we hosted three public conversations across the Mahoning Valley. Journalists from the Youngstown Vindicator, the Warren Tribune Chronicle, WFMJ-TV, and WKSU met to gather questions, understand how community members are thinking about the epidemic, and begin to identify potential community-based solutions.
Event Summary
Over three nights, at events in Youngstown, Warren, and Struthers Ohio, journalists sat down with dozens of community members — folks in recovery, families who have lost a child or sibling to overdose, public health officials, elected officials, and others — to ask three key questions. Here’s what we heard from participants:
To see the complete list of participant experiences, ideas, and solutions, download the full report.
We’ll follow up on these topics along with our media partners. Here are the initial questions we’re setting out to answer:
- How can the medical community become more involved?
- What are new and improved practices for pain management?
- What are lawmakers currently doing?
- Why is it so expensive to prosecute a deal for homicide when a someone overdoses?
- What is marijuana’s role in addiction and the opioid epidemic?
- Who is providing long-term recovery in the area?
- Is suboxone an effective drug to treat addiction?
- How are communities offering 24/7 assistance to people struggling with addiction?
- What are the costs of addiction vs prevention?
Research will be documented on our solutions page and covered by our weekly blog. You can also sign up for our weekly news roundup of stories around Ohio and the nation covering solutions to the opioid epidemic.
Continuing Partner Research and Coverage
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Locals support drug crisis proposals“ – 8/6/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Sheriff’s department to launch overdose quick-response team“ – 8/16/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Kasich Introduces New Limits on Opioid Prescriptions“ – 9/16/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Trumbull County sounds alarm because of spike in overdoses“ – 9/22/2017
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Trumbull saddled with high overdose rate and unemployment“ – 9/24/2017
- 21 WFMJ, “Narcan kits available at Hometown Pharmacy but with limits“ – 9/27/2017
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Trib turns attention to two health crises“ – 10/1/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Vindy, other media seek solutions to opioid crisis“ – 10/1/2017
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Fighting the heroin crisis together“ – 10/1/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Lend your voices to help lessen Valley opiate crisis“ – 10/6/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Your Voice Mahoning Valley seeks weapons to fight heroin“ – 10/7/2017
- WKSU, “Measuring the Impact of Opiate Addiction in Ohio“ – 10/9/2017
- 21 WFMJ, “YVMV: Potential solutions to the opioid epidemic“ – 10/10/2017
- WKSU, “Can Providing Addicts With Needles Help Curb The Opioid Crisis and the Costly Epidemic to Follow?“ – 10/13/2017
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Strained, but empathetic“ – 10/15/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “ADDICTED VALLEY | Last opioid meeting tonight in Struthers; public invited“ – 10/17/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Should health agencies in the Mahoning Valley give needles to addicts?“ – 10/22/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Dropping the gloves over addiction“ – 10/22/2017
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Community wants answers, solutions“ – 10/24/2017
- WKSU, “Community and News Media Join in Search for Solutions to Drug Crisis“ – 10/24/2017
- WKSU, “First Glimpse of Trump’s Public Health Declaration Leaves Ohio’s Treatment Community Underwhelmed“ – 10/26/2017
- 21 WFMJ, “21 News collaborates with the community to help find solutions to the opioid crisis“ – 10/26/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Time to channel voices into actions to fight opioid crisis“ – 10/27/2017
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Community questions media’s opioid coverage“ – 10/30/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “DeWine unveils new plan to combat opioid crisis and demands drug companies pay for it“ – 10/31/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Community comes together for opioid summit“ – 11/4/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Long-Term Treatment and Role of Marijuana in Opioid Crisis“ – 11/12/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “New initiative Opioid Network lobbies legislators” – 11/14/2017
- WKSU, “Ohio Wants to Expand Access For Opioid Addicts To Medication-Assisted Treatment“ – 12/15/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Weighing costs of drug abuse prevention vs. treatment“ – 1/11/2018
Media Coverage of the Events
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Community discusses solutions to opioid epidemic at final Your Voice Ohio event“ – 10/25/2017
- 21 WFMJ, “Youngstown community and media meet to talk solutions to opioid epidemic“ – 10/23/2017
- Warren Tribune Chronicle, “Community wants answers, solutions“ – 10/24/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “Community members, journalists meet to tackle opioid epidemic“ – 10/23/2017
- Youngstown Vindicator, “ADDICTED VALLEY | Last opioid meeting tonight in Struthers; public invited“ – 10/17/2017