Your Voice Ohio: What is the cost of the addiction epidemic?

Cost of an epidemic... A new study calculates the total cost of opioid dependency in Ohio in 2015 ranged from $6.6 billion to $8.8 billion. To put this into perspective, Ohio spent $8.2 billion of General Revenue Funds and Lottery Profits money on K-12 public education in 2015, thus, the opioid crisis was likely as costly as the state’s spending on K-12 education. read the full story WEEKLY ROUNDUP

Saturday is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day US Drug Enforcement Administration Suffering and abandoned: Chronic pain patients cut off in the opioid era Cleveland.com Narcan is available free to city agencies to combat overdoses Portsmouth Daily Times Solutions from local opioid forums presented to state leaders Dayton Daily News What should you do if a loved one with an addiction needs help now? Youngstown Vindicator Opioid deaths prompt Ohio to reimagine classroom lessons, starting with kindergarten Washington Post Year-Round Drug Disposal Cleveland.com GUEST COLUMN: Treatment gives addicted a new chance at real life Chillicothe Gazette Stark overdose deaths drop 27 percent Canton Repository  Ohio gets $26M federal grant to target opioid crisis Dayton Daily News Overdoses tick up as state pharmacists, Ohio governor candidates and more try to help Akron Beacon Journal Opioid treatment gap in Medicare: methadone clinics Akron Beacon Journal

How have you or someone you know been impacted by Ohio's opioid crisis? To help us better cover the issue, we want to hear from you. Share Your Story View our solutions database and community specific addiction and recovery resources.