The Community Overdose Action Team (COAT) is partnering with the Ohio Opioid Education Alliance to help raise awareness of the harms of opioid misuse and abuse. The Opioid Alliance works to educate and prevent young Ohioans from misusing and abusing opioids.
Over the past few years, a historic number of Ohioans have died from unintentional overdose, and young children are among the most affected. Approximately 70 percent of infant children in Ohio’s custody have opioid-involved parents, leaving them especially vulnerable to the cycle of addiction.*
“Opioid addiction has ravaged families and is causing children to experience untold trauma. The Alliance’s prevention efforts place an important priority on educating our youth”, said Helen Jones-Kelley, Executive Director of Montgomery County’s Alcohol, Drug Addiction & Mental Health Services. “Education is critical in addressing behaviors that increase our youth’s susceptibility to misuse drugs.”
“The COAT is proud to become a member of the Alliance, and we will continue working with our community in a strategic and unified way to build prevention efforts and ensure that addiction no longer holds Ohioans back from living their lives to the fullest,” said Health Commissioner, Jeff Cooper, Public Health - Dayton & Montgomery County.
The Opioid Alliance’s primary purpose is to promote and amplify the Denial, OH campaign. The campaign is based on research that indicates most people are aware of the opioid crisis, but still underestimate the risk opioids can pose to their own children and families.
The Alliance aims to shift the mindsets of parents and caregivers from a “not my kid” mentality to acknowledging that opioid misuse and abuse are a threat in all communities, so proactive steps are needed to protect families. Thus far, over 30 companies and non-profit organizations have signed on as partners to the initiative. Opioid prevention resources and a complete list of partners are available at DontLiveinDenial.org.
*Based on 2015 study by Public Children Services Associations of Ohio.”
