Youth Suicides Declined After Creation Of National Hotline 

Over the two and a half years following the 2022 rollout of the 988 national suicide prevention hotline, the rate of suicides among young people in the United States dropped 11 percent below projections, decreasing most sharply in states with a higher volume of answered 988 calls, a new study has found. The findings, published as a research letter in JAMA, compared suicide deaths from July 2022 to December 2024 with sophisticated mathematical projections that were based on historical trends. This yielded good news, with 4,372 fewer suicides of adolescents and young adults, ages 15 to 34, than had been projected.

A Look at the ‘Wild West’ of Synthetic Kratom, Which Doctors are Calling ‘More Potent than Fentanyl’

Kratom is usually advertised as a safe herbal supplement that’s used as an energy booster, pain reliever and, crucially, an aid for quitting opioids. But addiction specialists and researchers say that 7-OH is a different, more potent and much more dangerous beast.

In lower doses, kratom functions like a stimulant — but in larger doses, it has an opioid-like effect that can help ease withdrawal symptoms, without the same risk profile of traditional opioids, making it an attractive option for people struggling with opioid addiction.

That all changed around 2015, with the introduction of a second wave of “enhanced” kratom products. Since that time, kratom poisonings have surged by 1,200%, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report, aided by the third wave of kratom products.

Over time, dependence can form, which means users require more or stronger doses to get the same effect. And that’s led a growing number of people to move on to 7-OH and the stronger, but less prevalent, mitragynine pseudoindoxyl.

Opposition Mounts Against Proposal to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes

A coalition of Ohio education groups, unions, and local officials has formed to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment to eliminate property taxes.

Opponents argue that eliminating property taxes would devastate funding for public services like schools, libraries and police.

Supporters of the amendment must collect over 413,000 signatures by July to place it on the November ballot.

The Ohio Council Welcomes New Provider Member, Midwest Integrated Care

Midwest Integrated Care in Columbus, OH. Giti Mayton, CEO can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (614) 289-8492. Midwest Integrated Care offers Primary Care Services (preventive care, chronic condition management and health maintenance), Behavioral Health Services (individual counseling, group counseling, and psychiatric care & medication management), Substance Use Disorder Treatment (individualized medical management and counseling and recovery support), and specialized programs including adolescent behavioral health (ages 12-17), court-ordered treatment and employer EAP behavioral health in Franklin and all surrounding counties. 

Click here to learn more about Midwest Integrated Care!