Attorney General Dave Yost said Monday that his Scientific Committee on Opioid Prevention and Education (SCOPE) found the highest opioid overdose death rate in Ohio occurred in the second quarter of 2020.

SCOPE said the death rate in Ohio from opioid overdose at 11.01 per 100,000 population in the second quarter of 2020 was the highest rate in 10 years. The previous 10-year high was in the first quarter of 2017 at 10.87 opioid overdoses per 100,000 population.

“Opioid overdoses might have taken a backseat in our minds last year because of COVID-19, but make no mistake: Ohioans are dying at a devastating rate because of opioid overdoses,” Yost said, urging vigilance about how prescription drugs are stored and encouraging people to seek medical care in the event of an overdose – despite concerns about COVID-19.

Yost's office said the record-setting spike surprisingly came after Ohio experienced a significant drop in its opioid-related death rate, which had fallen to between six and eight overdose deaths per 100,000 people over the prior 24-month period.

“This is alarming data, and while COVID has rightly captured our attention, we cannot lose sight of the threat the opioid epidemic brings to all areas of Ohio,” Yost said.

The hardest hit counties in the second quarter of 2020 were Scioto (35.22), Fayette (20.67) and Franklin (19.43).

The analysis, which found an increase of deaths in 67 percent of Ohio’s counties, can be found online at https://odh-heatmap-app.herokuapp.com/ . The data is gathered by the Ohio Department of Health, which collects opioid overdose numbers. The data may lag by up to six months.

Meanwhile, Yost Monday joined a broad coalition of 48 attorneys general in pushing federal regulators to examine recent progress in their fight against opioid abuse.

The bipartisan coalition, led by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas, specifically seeks a progress report regarding recent steps taken by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to combat the opioid crisis, given the new authorities Congress granted the agency in 2018.

“While dealing with a worldwide pandemic, we are still fighting an opioid epidemic that continues to wreak havoc,” Yost said. “I am committed to using all the tools available to combat opioid addictions and save lives.”

In their letter to FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, the attorneys general contend the requested information will help reduce prescription opioid abuse and accidental deaths

The coalition’s letter seeks clarification of how FDA is using and plans to use powers granted under the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Those provisions include safer opioid packaging and disposal features, research and issuance of new regulations on non-addictive alternatives to opioids and guidelines for opioid prescribing.

The attorneys general believe FDA plays a critical role in ensuring both the safety and efficacy of opioids and encouraging non-addictive, non-opioid alternatives for treating pain.

Attorney General Yost signed the letter along with attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, U.S. Virgin Islands, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.