Opioid-related deaths and incarcerations are affecting children across Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana at soaring rates, according to the 2017 Child Well-Being Survey published August 3.
Here are six things to know:
1. Interact Health, a nonprofit, partnered with Cincinnati Children's Hospital and United Way of Greater Cincinnati to commission the survey.
2. A random sampling of 2,757 parents and guardians across 22 counties in southwest Ohio, northern Kentucky and southeast Indiana participated in the survey between March 5 and August 9, 2017, according to The Enquirer.
3. The survey found about 15 percent of children in those three states have a parent who's been incarcerated. The national average for jailed parents is 8 percent.
4. About 8 percent of children in the region had their parent or guardian die, compared to the national average of
5. In 2016, the CDC ranked Ohio second in the nation and Kentucky fifth for fatal opioid overdoses. Many Ohio and Indiana residents who died from an opioid overdose were between ages 25- 34. In Kentucky, most deaths occurred among adults ages35 to 44.
"While this survey doesn't tell us why, substance abuse is a likely contributor," Sonya Carrico, senior program officer for the opioid team at Interact for Health, told The Enquirer. "Our region has some of the highest rates of drug overdose deaths in the nation, many among adults age 25 to 44 and the percentage of youth in foster care due to parental substance abuse is on the rise."
6. Ms. Carrico also told The Enquirer some children witnessed a parent or guardian overdose, while other children reported a lack of food, clothing or shelter when living with parents battling addiction.
More articles on opioids:
Opioid prescriptions static since 2007 despite increased awareness of misuse
10 opioid stories in July
Poison control centers report jump in calls over exposure to unapproved drug with opioid-like high