Our first central Ohio event on April 22, 2018, 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, who sat in small groups to consider what addiction looked like, what they see as causes, and what steps could be taken to combat it. Many attendees wanted to see local journalists highlight people in recovery, and report on 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.
Below you’ll find an overview of the big themes we heard at the event. To dive deeper, download the full report.