#Ohio

Fatal overdoses are down more than 50 percent since last year, an astounding turnaround for one of the nation’s addiction hot spots.

Earlier this month, an Ohio man living with hepatitis C was sentenced to 18 months in prison for spitting at police officers and medics.

It’s the 10th state to do so in the past year.

Several counties have seen HCV rates double, yet advocates say treatment and prevention strategies are still not in place.

The programs hope to counter a recent spike in HIV and hepatitis C cases linked to injection drug use.

More than 20 news outlets are collaborating to cover the region’s ongoing heroin, overdose and hepatitis C epidemics.

As the Midwest’s heroin epidemic escalates, business leaders and health advocates have started taking matters into their own hands.

Elizabeth “Libby” Harrison has since been released from jail and is pleading not guilty to the charges filed against her by local police.

It’s another worrying sign of the local heroin epidemic, say doctors, who also note that there is no standard HCV treatment plan for kids.

Local health officials say an an uptick in IV drug use is a major contributing factor.

The project will focus on primarily suburban and rural areas in the southern part of the state.

Two grants will fund new research on the hepatitis C virus and how infected patients respond to therapy.

Although blood test results have come back negative, the man says he is still planning to file criminal charges.