Health

Opioids: Turning the Tide in the Crisis

00000174-c556-d691-a376-cdd69e980000Day after day, week after week, the headlines in Northeast Ohio and across much of the country contain news of tragic loss: lives lost to opioids. It’s a problem that knows no bounds: geography, race, gender, level of education or income.The problem took on new urgency this summer as the powerful elephant sedative, Carfentanil, began hitting the streets. First responders armed with their only weapon, the overdose antidote Naloxone, have struggled to keep up with what’s become an overwhelming problem. It’s an issue that’s straining public and social resources. What has become clear is that business as usual is not going to fix the problem.WKSU news has been covering the unfolding crisis. Tuesdays during Morning Edition, the WKSU news team digs even deeper. WKSU reporters will examine what’s led us here and what might be done to turn the tide. Support for Opioids: Turning the Tide in the Crisis comes from Wayne Savings Community Bank, Kent State University Office of Continuing and Distance Education, Hometown Grocery Delivery, Mercy Medical Center, AxessPointe Community Health Center, Community Support Services, Inc., Medina County District Library and Hudson Community First.00000174-c556-d691-a376-cdd69e980001

Third Frontier Looks for High-Tech Solutions To The Opioid Crisis

Ideastream Public Media | By Karen Kasler

Published May 24, 2017 at 6:25 PM EDT

photo of Third Frontier Commission panel

In his State of the State speech last month, Gov. John Kasich announced he wants the state’s Third Frontier Commission to spend $20 million toward high-tech solutions to the deadly opioid crisis.

The panel has taken the first step toward doing that.

The commission will spend $12 million on what it determines, through a competitive process, are the best devices, drugs, medical products, tests or other ideas to combat the opioid crisis. These will be ideas that are already in development but need some more funding to get them to market.

Norm Chagnon with the Ohio Development Services Agency says it will also spend $8 million on a challenge to bring in new ideas.

“As a result of collecting those ideas, we are going to formulate specific challenges from that input, driving towards actual technical solutions to those.”

The challenge will be competitive as well, with the best proposals also receiving small financial awards.