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Springfield News-Sun
Coalition seeks to
help Springfield businesses with drug epidemic
By Michael Cooper
June 21, 2017
SPRINGFIELD — A local coalition created to fight the drug epidemic in
Clark County spoke with business leaders Wednesday about its role in
the public health crisis.
The Clark County Substance Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Support
Coalition held a forum to make business leaders aware of ongoing
efforts in the community to create drug free workforce policies for
local companies, as well as other policies to help employees seek
treatment, said coalition member Kristina Downing of Express Employment
Services.
Several business leaders signed a pledge to support the coalition.
“We have a role to play as employers,” Downing said. “We have a
tremendous opportunity to affect peoples’ lives. If we do nothing more
than educate and maybe refer (to other services), we can be the start
of turning this tide.”
The majority of the 79 drug deaths in Clark County last year involved
heroin and illicit fentanyl, which is 50 times more powerful than
heroin. There have been 77 suspected drug deaths this year, including
51 confirmed drug deaths, according to the Clark County Coroner’s
Office.
As of Monday, local law enforcement has responded to 720 calls for
overdoses, including 559 by the Springfield Police Division and 161 by
the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Last year, local law enforcement
agencies responded to 493 overdoses.
About 70 percent of people abusing illicit drugs are employed,
according to the National Council for Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.
Drug abuse and addiction costs employers about $81 billion annually,
according to the council.
Employees in active addiction miss 10 work days for every one day
missed by other employees and are only about two-thirds as productive
as other employees, McKinley Hall CEO Wendy Doolittle said.
Companies who take action through drug testing, education and second
chance programs can improve morale, decrease workplace accidents,
reduce employee thefts and turnover and increase productivity, she said.
The Mental Health and Recovery Board of Clark, Greene and Champaign
Counties was one of 17 Ohio communities recently selected to
participate in the Working Partners Drug-Free Workforce Community
Initiative.
The board received a $20,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Mental
Health and Recovery Services to kick-start the program, said Tracey
Stute, director of treatment, prevention and support for the recovery
board. It will assist employers in creating drug-free policies, helping
employees in need seek treatment and create second chance approaches,
if applicable.
Five companies participated in drug-free workforce technical assistance
training this week, Stute said. Another round of training will be
available for five more companies later this year.
“The policies can affect the needs of your company,” Stute said. “It
may be different for someone in manufacturing. That’s where policies
can support practices.”
The coalition is planning four more forums this year with different
groups, including faith leaders, schools and the general public.
Read this and other articles at the Springfield News-Sun
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