LIMA — While there have been some reasons for optimism concerning Ohio’s economy, the state must continue to work to deal with the heroin epidemic that continues to weigh it down.
That was the message from U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, to the Lima business community during the Lima/Allen County Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Wake, Rattle and Roll networking event held Friday at Veterans Memorial Civic Center.
“The overall economy is still tough, and I think there are some headwinds coming from Washington that aren’t needed,” he said. “We should reform the tax code and have regulatory relief that makes sense.”
However, with more people in the state addicted to heroin, the impact of that drug is being felt throughout the state, not just economically but also from a humanitarian perspective. That is the driving force behind the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act that Portman co-sponsored.
“Every emergency room in Ohio is being overcrowded by people who are overdosing from prescription drugs and heroin,” he said. “Sadly, we see a lot of people dying from this. We’re seeing more people dying from this in Ohio than anything, including auto accidents.”
One of the strategies recently enacted in Ohio involves making the heroin antidote naloxone, also known as Narcan, available without a prescription at Kroger and CVS Pharmacies, a move that Portman supports.
“The point I made to Kroger was, ‘Good for providing Narcan, because it will save lives,’” he said. “It’s like a war, and we’re in a foxhole. We have to provide this antidote or else more people will die.”
However, he emphasized that this treatment must come with pharmacies pushing those seeking the antidote toward rehabilitation rather than just giving addicts license to use heroin seemingly without risk.
“I told them that they cannot do these consults without getting people into treatment,” he said. “The most important thing they’re doing is letting people know that if they’re taking Narcan for a friend or family member who’s addicted, that’s good, but you have to let that person know where they can get into treatment and recovery and get them back on their feet. You don’t want to have this cycle continue.”
When it comes to the local economy, Portman pointed to several reasons for optimism in Allen County.
“Allen County and Lima have some real successes, and one is the tank plant,” he said. “We kept it open even when the administration wanted to shut it down, and now we’re getting some business in there, most recently from the U.S. Army with Stryker upgrades and also some foreign business from Israel. We also think there will be some business coming from Morocco, and we’re excited about that. Also, the Ford plant is making engines for the F-150, and it’s selling well. We’re actually exporting engines from here to China, and I love that.”
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